


I'm Not Lost When I'm With You

by Katykat_14



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Curses, F/M, Flashbacks, Love, Magic, Neverland (Once Upon a Time), Neverland (Peter Pan), Original Character(s), Romance, Sacrifice, Storybrooke (Once Upon a Time), Visions
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-02
Updated: 2020-10-05
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:27:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 30,459
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26247160
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Katykat_14/pseuds/Katykat_14
Summary: She wanted nothing more than to go back. Back to the island filled with the boys she cared for, with the boy she was madly in love with, but it was impossible. Not just because she was stuck in Storybrooke with no magic beans or random portals, but it was physically impossible for her. She had given up all hope. That is, until the Dark One knocked on her door and decided to make a deal.Also on Quotev as KatyKat14
Relationships: Peter Pan | Malcolm/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 13





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is going to be the edited version of what is already on Quotev. When I started this story, I was still new at writing in third person, but if you don't mind numerous mistakes and sloppy work, then go ahead and check out the story there to read ahead!

Curse. Definition: a solemn utterance intended to invoke a supernatural power to inflict harm or punishment on someone or something. Snow White was the target of the Evil Queen’s wrath, though she had no qualms with sucking in everyone else around them. She’d do anything to get her revenge for the crime she felt the young woman had committed against her. They deserved it, too, didn’t they? Those that followed the little princess loyally. Those that hated the Queen unjustly. And everyone else who had the gall to be happy while she suffered.

This included one special girl. This girl hadn’t lived in the Enchanted Forest for a long time—longer even than the Evil Queen had been alive. She’d lived her life happily far, far away with a family that loved her more than anything. Unfortunately for this girl, she’d been cursed already, and forced to flee from that happy home. She hadn’t been back to the land that she had once called home for more than a month or two, before the Evil Queen’s Dark Curse swept through the land, ripping every person from their precious loved ones.

Eventually, the Dark Curse was broken, but the story for this girl doesn’t start there. Before the curse had been broken, Aria Janssen felt that there was more to Storybrooke than meets the eye. She couldn’t place her finger on what exactly it was that made her feel that things were strange, and whenever she tried to think about it, she would get a splitting migraine that refused to go away until she fell asleep. Her adoptive parents, a man and woman who did their best to care for her, took her to the doctors many times to figure out what caused these headaches, but she was always sent home with a clean bill of health. There was nothing wrong with her brain. There was nothing wrong with her eyes. Medically speaking, there was nothing wrong. After a migraine so bad she could hardly see sent her to the hospital, the doctor suggested that perhaps her problem had more to do with her mental state than it did her physical. And, thus began her daily visits to the town shrink, Dr. Hopper.

The visits were of little help to her. She could hardly explain to herself the feelings she had about their small town, let alone another person. She just knew something wasn’t right. Eventually the nice doctor stopped asking about her issues with Storybrooke, and instead questioned her about her life in general. She didn’t know exactly what there was to talk about, so he insisted they start with her childhood.

She had thought long and hard about this subject—so hard in fact that the migraine would rear its ugly head again—but it was no use. She couldn’t remember even a single detail about her life as a child.

“That’s okay,” Dr. Hopper told her, a smile on his face, attempting to soothe her growing concern. “As we grow older, we start to forget most of our childhood. It’s perfectly normal.”

But she couldn’t agree. She felt that her life before finding her adoptive parents, before coming to this weird town, was important. But, as usual, the harder she thought about it, the worse her headaches would get. It was an endless, miserable cycle.

Despite the visits to Dr. Hopper not helping her, her adoptive parents still urged her to attend her sessions. They were sure that eventually something was bound to help. It would just take time. But with each visit, she became quieter and quieter, drawing in on herself more than she’d already been. What was there for her to say? He couldn’t help her with her feelings. He couldn’t help her remember her important childhood. What was the point in talking to him at all?

But she continued to go, spending the hour staring down at the gloomy street filled with the same people, doing the same things every day. And it was a good thing she did, for it was at his office that she met her first friend—Henry Mills. Though he was about six years younger than herself, she still connected with him right away. He felt it, too, that something was off about Storybrooke. Unlike her, though, he had a theory.

So, one day she asked him, “what is your theory, Henry? Do you mind sharing?” They were both sitting in the lobby outside the shrink’s office, awaiting their turn with the doc.

He fidgeted in his seat for a moment, looking around as though he was afraid someone would be listening in. Unsatisfied, he leaned in close, urging her to do the same. “I can’t tell you here. Meet me at Granny’s after your session with Archie. I’ll explain everything then.”

She had nodded her head, her brows scrunched as she took in the serious expression on his face. She probably should have assumed that it was going to be something silly—kids always came up with the most ridiculous things—but, just like the rest of her gut feelings, she was sure that this wasn’t the case. Besides, at least he was able to form some thought on their shared suspicion. She couldn’t even manage that without her head feeling like it was going to explode.

When they met up at Granny’s Diner, he showed her his storybook. The big, thick brown tome didn’t look very interesting at first, and when she noted the title, “Once Upon A Time,” she found herself even less interested. A storybook filled with fairy tales hadn’t interested her very much. But that quickly changed when Henry delved into his theory, how he suspected that everyone in Storybrooke were actually characters from this book. Naturally, at first, she thought it was nothing but a little kid’s overactive imagination. But the more he explained the more she considered it.

“So,” she began, taking a sip from her chocolate shake as she contemplated her next words, “you’re saying that the Evil Queen cast a curse, making everyone from the Enchanted Forest come here and completely forget about who they were before…and that’s why no one has any real memories about how long they’ve been in Storybrooke, or why no one can ever leave town without something bad happening?”

“Exactly,” he said, taking a sip of his drink. Despite the warmer weather, he’d chosen a hot cocoa with cinnamon sprinkled on top. “Just think about it for a second. Do you remember anything before your parents adopted you? Where did you come from? Who are your biological parents?”

Aria had thought about these questions many times before, most foster kids do, but she always came up blank. She could never accept that, so she’d think about it harder, which always landed her flat on her bed, her head buried in her pillows. As much as she hated the migraines, she hated not knowing more. “No,” she frowned. “I’ve…been with my current parents…for as long as I can remember…”

Henry’s head bobbed up and down, his lips mirroring her frown. “And that’s the exact same response I get from anyone when I ask them how long they’ve been doing something. Archie, Mary Margaret, Sheriff Graham…everyone. Don’t you think that’s kind of odd?”

It was more than “kind of” odd. It was the weirdest thing she’d ever heard, which naturally meant that her headache was starting up again. She rubbed her temple to alleviate some of the tension. “Yeah, it is…if what you’re saying is true…then have you figured out who everyone is?”

Henry shook his head, his eyes averting to the storybook that lay between them. “Not everyone, but I have figured out a few people.” He opened the old book, revealing a picture of Snow White and the Evil Queen. “Archie’s identity seems pretty obvious. He helps guide people. He’s gotta be Jiminy Cricket. Marco works as a repairman, so I think he’s Pinocchio’s father, Geppetto, but I can’t be sure. I don’t know enough about him. But Mary Margaret…she has to be Snow White.”

She smiled at the boy’s excitement, contemplating his words as she stared down at the beautiful painting of the princess. “Mary Margaret is the nicest, most giving person I’ve ever met. I could definitely see her as Snow White.” Her gaze wandered over to the woman in dark clothing, her devilish appearance causing a shiver to run down her spine. “So, who do you think the Evil Queen is?”

Henry went quiet almost immediately. His gaze was captured by the evil woman, his jaw setting as he glared. “That one is more obvious than the others. The woman who has all the power in town, the only one who doesn’t answer my questions like everyone else…” She watched the boy closely, noting his somber expression as she waited for him to continue. When his hazel eyes finally met her emerald orbs, they were filled with both fear and sadness. “It’s my mom. Regina.”

And, suddenly, it was all very clear as to why he was forced to see the town shrink. Most parents would pass off a theory like this as nothing more than a child’s overactive imagination, but when your own child thinks you’re the Evil Queen…I guess anyone would want their kid’s head examined.

After their meeting at Granny’s, she went home and considered his theory carefully. It was definitely an imaginative suggestion. It was put together, his thoughts organized well. It explained a lot, too. But what really convinced her was the fact that her brain was pounding against her skull, trying to deny his accusations. It was then she wondered if perhaps her many headaches were a part of the curse. They only ever started whenever she thought about her past. And she only thought about her past so much because she refused to believe that this was all there was. Just this tiny town that never changed. She knew there was more.

So, Henry and Aria met up frequently to talk more about it. They’d taken it upon themselves to try and figure out who was who in town, though without really knowing the townspeople, it was impossible for them to be sure. They made a sort of odd pairing. This High School aged girl, hanging out with a little kid, exploring their quiet, boring town. But no one ever batted an eye, which was more proof there was a curse, in Aria’s eyes.

Eventually, the subject of who Aria was came up. It was a topic she’d been avoiding.

“Aria,” Henry started, taking a lick of the vanilla ice cream in his hands. They were seated at a bench in the middle of the park, enjoying the sunshine. “Who do you think you were? Back in the Enchanted Forest?”

It’s not like she’d never wondered. In fact, ever since Henry introduced her to the possibility of a curse, she’d found herself thinking more and more about it. She’d looked through the book so many times while he chatted away, trying to find a story that felt right and triggered her little migraines. Sadly, she never found one.

She gave him a sad smile and shrugged. “I’m not sure. Maybe I wasn’t important enough to be in the stories.”

He stopped mid-lick, his brows scrunching at her words. “Well, that is possible, I guess. After all, there were a lot of people in the Enchanted Forest, and not all of them were brave heroes or evil villains.”

“Exactly,” she nodded. “Maybe I was just a regular villager who lived a regular life?” But even as the words left her lips, she knew they weren’t true. She had a feeling that her life was anything but “regular,” and the small twinge of a headache confirmed this. She shook it off and flashed him a bright smile. “So, have you figured out how we’re going to break the curse?”

He finished up on his ice cream, wiping his hands clean before digging into his bag to pull out the storybook. She could never get over the size of the thing. “I’ve been thinking about that, actually. I don’t think _we_ are supposed to break it.”

Her brows furrowed. “Why do you say that?”

He took a moment to flip through the book, coming to a stop when he found a picture of the dashing Prince Charming and the beautiful Snow White, a bundle of joy cradled in their arms. “In the book, it actually says that the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming is the ‘Savior.’ She is destined to bring back all the happy endings.”

She looked over the portion of writing he was pointing at, confirming his words. “Okay, but who is the ‘Savior?’ It can’t be anyone in town. They’re all cursed.”

He fidgeted in his seat, a habit she realized he did whenever he was nervous. Despite this, he met her gaze with wide, hazel orbs, desperation clear on his face. She had a feeling that he wanted her to really consider what he was about to say, and not to just dismiss it as wishful thinking. “I…I think it’s my mom.”

“The Evil Queen?”

“No,” he swallowed, glancing away for a moment before forcing his gaze back on her. “I mean my real mom. The one who gave birth to me.”

Aria froze, realizing why he was so desperate for her to understand, but unsure how she was supposed to respond. If he was right about the storybook, then he was probably right about this, too…but if he was wrong about everything and she supported this thought…wouldn’t he just get his hopes up for nothing? She’d grown very fond of the young boy. She loved him as if he were her brother. She didn’t want to see him get hurt.

But instantly shooting down the idea would do just as much damage, so instead she decided to ask him to elaborate. “Henry…why do you think it’s your real mom?”

She’d obviously responded correctly, because his wary eyes lit up with excitement as he pulled the storybook closer. He knew she wouldn’t dismiss his idea as foolish, just as he knew that he could trust her with his curse theory. He pointed a small, slightly sticky finger to the bundled baby on the page, focusing in on the embroidered name on the blanket. “The name of Snow White and Prince Charming’s daughter is ‘Emma.’”

“Okay…” she said slowly, missing the connection.

“When I went snooping through some of my mom’s files a while ago, I came across a file about my birth mother. It was buried deep, along with a bunch of other documents my mom forgot about. There wasn’t much information there…but I was able to find out her name. Emma Swan.”

As soon as that name left his lips, her brain began to pound painfully against her skull, so much so that she had to close her eyes and cradle her face in her hands. Henry worried, of course, but she waved him off, trying desperately to fight against whatever it was that caused her mind to turn against her. Slowly, she pulled her hands from her face, giving Henry a victorious smile. “I believe you.”

“You do?” he asked, shock clear in his tone. Clearly, he hadn’t actually expected her to accept this theory. A part of him had wondered if it was all in his head.

She nodded her head, deciding it was time she came clean about her own suspicions. “Henry, did I ever tell you why my parents send me to Archie?”

“Yeah,” he shrugged. “It’s because you get really bad headaches, and they thought it was some mental trauma from your past, right? But since you can’t remember anything from before you came here the headaches keep happening.”

“Right, but that’s not all,” she started, taking a deep breath. This would be the first time she’d told anyone about this. Not even her adoptive parents knew. She hoped the kid wouldn’t laugh. “Actually, whenever my headaches start, it’s usually because I have this feeling that something is or isn’t right. I get them whenever we figure out a persons’ true identity. I think I get them because my gut is trying to tell me one thing, but my mind is working hard to deny it.”

His eyes immediately lit up. “That makes sense! The curse wouldn’t want you getting too close to the truth!”

She breathed a sigh of relief, glad that he was so smart and able to catch on. She didn’t know what she’d have done if he’d denied her suspicions. Or worse, laughed in her face. “That’s what I was thinking.” She glanced back down to the picture of the baby Emma. “I got a major migraine the second you said your moms name. I think…that you’re right. I think she’s the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming.” She forced herself not to think about what that meant for Mary Margaret.

“So, she has to be the Savior! She can break the curse!”

Aria smiled at his excitement, enjoying the light in his eyes. They were rarely so bright. She opened her mouth to say more but was cut off by the voice of someone who most _definitely_ should not hear the conversation they were having.

“Well, you two seem to be excited. What’s got you in such a good mood?” Regina Mills, the town mayor—and most importantly, the Evil Queen—approached the two sitting on the bench, a wide smile on her lips. Sheriff Graham was standing behind her, his hands pushed into the back of his pockets as he looked on with only slight interest.

Henry slammed the book shut before his mom could see the page they were discussing, turning towards her with the best I’m-not-up-to-something look he could muster up. Aria had to admit, it wasn’t very convincing. “Nothing. J-just talking about this book that Aria used to read when she was my age. She said she was going to let me borrow it.”

Regina looked down at the storybook in Henry’s lap, a brow raised in suspicion as she turned to the strange girl that had befriended her son. Aria could see by the look in her eyes that she didn’t believe the lie her son conjured up. It was as if she was challenging Aria to go along with it. “Is that so? And what book might that be?”

Thankfully, Aria had a lie already prepared. It was lucky she’d already been thinking about bringing up a possible decoy book, just in case something like this ever happened. Still, she could feel the pressure coming from all sides. Henry with his expectant eyes, urging her to come up with something quick. Sheriff Graham eyeing her carefully, waiting to hear the answer himself. And Regina, her eyes narrowed in slits, just waiting for the girl to mess up so she’d have an excuse to yell at her—or throw a fireball, whichever the Evil Queen was in the mood for at the moment.

She pulled on a smile, nodding her head as she met the Mayor’s gaze. “Yeah! It’s called ‘Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief.’ It’s a modern spin on Greek Mythology. You know, an easier way for kids Henry’s age to understand the tales.”

The lie seemed to have passed if Sheriff Graham’s nod of approval was any indication. Still, though, Regina narrowed her eyes at the blonde teen. She knew that she was lying, but she’d delivered the excuse so easily that she had absolutely no reason to be upset. “Greek Mythology, huh? Well, I think it may be just a little too early for Henry to be learning about those tales.”

Aria smiled wider, reaching over to ruffle Henry’s mop of brown hair, feigning nonchalance even though she could feel her heart pounding hard in her chest. “Actually, it helps a lot. That way kids know what to expect when they start learning about it in class. And, besides,” she paused, looking first at the storybook before locking a steady gaze with the Evil Queen, “kids can’t cling to Fairy Tales forever.”

She’d hoped that by saying so, Regina would just assume that the teenager was just humoring her son’s crazy story, however it had the opposite effect. The woman straightened as she looked between the two, really seeing them for the first time. When she’d first seen them eating together at Granny’s, she’d thought it was strange. Why would a sixteen-year old girl befriend a boy six years younger than herself? But she’d dismissed it when she saw how happy Henry was. What harm could a cursed girl do? It’s not like she could believe the theory Henry had concocted. The curse wouldn’t allow it.

But now she could see that she’d been wrong to overlook the pairing. This girl was lying straight to her face, keeping secrets from her about her son. Not only that, but the look in her eyes proved that this girl _believed_ what Henry had told her. She felt as though the teenage brat was challenging her—just waiting for her to mess up and confirm their theory.

She hated challenges.

“You’re right,” she smiled, covering her wicked thoughts. “Eventually, we all outgrow Fairy Tales. Greek Mythology could be a nice change. Far more respectable than silly stories about love.”

Aria nodded, relieved that the Evil Queen had bought her lie, and turned to Henry. “Alright, kid. It’s getting late. Your mom probably wants to go home and get dinner started. I’ll bring that book the next time I see you, okay?” Once she was sure that the adults had turned their backs to the children, she shot Henry a wink, assuring him that she was making it all up and she was still on his side.

He smiled wide, stuffing his storybook into his backpack, and hurrying to his feet. “Okay! Thanks, Aria! I’ll see you tomorrow!”

“Bye, Hen,” she grinned, amused by the boy’s enthusiasm. She stood up from the bench and watched as he and Graham started chatting it up, heading towards Regina’s car.

Regina lingered behind, glaring down at Aria, trying to come up with a reasonable excuse to stop this weird girl from seeing her son. She couldn’t allow Henry to get any closer to the truth, but the girl appeared to be a good influence on Henry. She couldn’t just randomly declare that she wasn’t allowed to see him anymore, not without a good reason. Everyone would think she’d lost her mind. That was something she couldn’t have.

The longer the Evil Queen stood there, the more uneasy Aria began to feel. The hairs on the back of her neck were standing on end. Doubt sunk into her like a heavy anchor. Had she not convinced the woman after all? Instead of allowing her fears to show, she plastered on a big smile, her brows raised to give that innocent appearance. “Is something wrong, Mayor Mills?”

The Queen hesitated, clenching her jaw. The sixteen-year old brat had outsmarted her. She had made herself out to be this perfect role model, impossible for anyone to be angry at. No one in their right mind would ban their child from seeing such a deceptively perfect girl. “No. Nothing at all.”

As she watched the Mayor walk away, she had the foreboding feeling that she had stepped on a land mine. If she made even the smallest mistake the bomb was going to go off. Given the woman’s reputation, she was pretty sure it would be a fiery experience.

Of course, like all her gut feelings, she was right. For a couple weeks, everything was fine. She carried around the books she had lied about, and even convinced Henry to read some of it in his free time. It was mostly to keep up the lie, but also because the books were good! She thought that maybe he could enjoy them when he wasn’t worrying about how to save the town. Whenever it was just the two of them, they’d talk more about the storybook, hoping to figure out more. Whenever there was someone around, they’d switch to talking about the Percy Jackson series.

After the incident with his mom, the two were starting to feel safe again. It wasn’t long before Aria made the mistake that ended it all.

She had walked Henry to Dr. Hopper’s office, her own appointment having been rescheduled so that Leroy, a grumpy old man that the two liked to steer clear of, could complain to the suspected Cricket about his problems. They’d been discussing his birth mother and how they were going to get her to break the curse. They didn’t know enough about her. Her name was just too generic. It’d be impossible to track her down on their own. She’d decided to do an internet search on her own, anyway. She didn’t want Henry to know that she was looking. It would just get his hopes up.

Unfortunately, one of Regina’s spies had overheard their conversation, and was more than eager to rat them out.

She was sitting in Granny’s diner, a chocolate milkshake to her left, untouched and forgotten while her nose was buried in the searches her laptop revealed. Naturally, she wasn’t having much luck. That wasn’t much of a surprise. Can you imagine how many “Emma Swans” there were in the world? Still, she continued to scroll through them, hoping she’d get lucky.

She didn’t hear the chimes above Granny’s door as it opened. She missed the clacking of high heels on the grimy linoleum as they came her way. She was so engrossed in her search that she didn’t sense the presence behind her until it was too late.

“Who the hell is Emma Swan?”

Aria jumped at the proximity of the judgmental voice, her body angling toward the woman so quick she almost knocked over the few fries that remained on her plate. Her heart was trying to hammer its way out of her chest, but she swallowed and met the woman’s gaze. “I’m sorry?”

Pleased she’d caught the girl off balance, Regina flashed her a sickly-sweet smile. “I asked you who this Emma Swan person is.”

Aria licked her lips, unprepared to lie to the woman. Sure, she’d done it so easily before, but that was because Henry was relying on her, and she’d begun to automatically anticipate it whenever the Mayor graced her with her presence. But she had no idea what to do now that the woman had taken her by surprise.

“Um, she’s…well…” she looked around as if searching for a reasonable excuse before sighing, appearing to be defeated. “Sh-she’s my birth mom.”

“Your birth mom?” Regina repeated, confused.

Aria gave her a dismal nod. “Didn’t Henry tell you? I’m adopted.”

The woman’s breath caught in her throat, her eyes widening a fraction. “No. He didn’t.”

She smiled dejectedly. “I think that’s why he and I get along so well. We can kind of relate to each other.” She swiveled her body back to her laptop, pretending to look through the searches again. “I got into a fight with my adoptive mom earlier, and it made me wonder what my real mom was like. Where she was, or even _who_ she was.” She sighed, defeated. “But I haven’t had any luck.”

Regina glared down at the girl, her gaze calculating as she gnawed on the inside of her lip. Once again, she knew she was lying, but she couldn’t call her out on it without any concrete proof. Especially not in such a public place. Besides, before all this, she had liked the girl. She was sweet and smart, and she always made her son happy. But now she could no longer be trusted. “I don’t want you seeing my son anymore.”

Aria’s fingers froze on the keyboard, her blood running cold. Slowly, with her heart having jumped to her throat, she looked up at the woman. “W-what?”

Regina glanced at the computer and then Aria. “If you start talking to Henry about finding your birth mother, then it’s only a matter of time before he starts wondering about his own. I don’t want that. _I’m_ his mother now, and I don’t want him getting any idea about going off on his own to search for the woman that abandoned him.”

If she hadn’t been taken completely by surprise, Aria would have responded as a normal, cursed person would have. “I won’t mention it to him! I’ll stop looking! Please!” But she didn’t. She couldn’t. Not when she knew the real reason she was being banned from Henry.

She scoffed, anger and annoyance building inside her, causing her hands to tremble. The woman was just afraid they were getting too close to the truth. She was weary of her now because she was seeing through the fabricated world despite being cursed. “You can’t be serious.”

Regina bent down so that she was in the girl’s face, so close that Aria could feel her breath fan across her cheek. “I’m very serious. If I see you anywhere near my son again—”

“You’ll what?” Aria interrupted, challenging her. “What _exactly_ are you going to do to me? Have me arrested? Hurt me? Or better yet…tear out my heart?” She didn’t miss the slight flinch that crossed the woman’s stern face. “You can’t do anything to me. I’m just a kid. The worse you could do is convince my parents to ground me under false pretenses.” Gaining courage now, she stood from her seat, forcing Regina to straighten in the process. She slammed her laptop shut. “I am not afraid of you, Mayor Mills. I refuse to be bullied by the likes of you.”

Regina’s eyes flashed with rage, but she covered it up well with a victorious grin. “It doesn’t matter. _I’m_ the Mayor. _I_ control this town. _I_ have the power. Like you said, you’re just a kid. _You_ …have nothing.” She spoke the words so softly, so menacingly, that only Aria could hear them, but the rest of the customers and staff in Granny’s could tell that something was going on. Unfortunately, in their eyes, all they could see was a disrespectful teen mouthing off to the Mayor.

Aria’s jaw clenched, her hands forming shaking fists at her side. She knew there was nothing she could do about it. Regina was right. She had no power. She had no choice but to as the woman said. That didn’t mean she wasn’t going to leave the woman with parting words.

“At least I have one thing that you don’t.”

“And what is that?” the woman sneered. She raised a perfectly sculpted brow, an amused smile forming on her lips.

“Henry’s trust.”

That clearly threw the woman off her game. Her pleased expression transformed into a snarling scowl, her hands clenching around the straps of her purse. “Just stay the hell away from my son,” she spat before turning and strutting out of the diner.

And that’s how it all began. With no other choice but to do as the woman said, Aria stopped seeing Henry, which threw him into a furious fit. His rebellion reached its peak as he stole Mary Margaret’s credit card and left to find his real mom. When he returned, he’d successfully brought the Savior into town.

Even from a distance Aria could see that things were starting to change. Her headaches came less and less, though she still couldn’t remember anything. Regina still wouldn’t let her anywhere near Henry, despite the fact her main concern was focused on Emma.

Of course, Aria still worried about her best friend, so she made it a point to stop by his class after school every day, long after he’d already headed home. She’d ask Mary Margaret—Snow White—about how he was doing, and if he was enjoying the various books she’d left for him. Mary Margaret was more than happy to play messenger.

Months passed like this. Her days were even more boring and miserable than they had been before she’d met Henry. She longed to theorize with him again, to help him in his endeavors, but she was confined to her house. Regina really hadn’t taken kindly to her last comment, and she’d made sure to have her grounded for the next year. It was quite unpleasant.

But eventually it happened. She was home alone when the house phone rang, echoing throughout the small house. Her gut feeling was making her uneasy as she ran to grab it. The caller I.D. displayed Regina Mills’ cell phone number.

There was a small part of her that wanted to ignore the call, unwilling to have the witch’s voice vibrating in her ears. But she knew the woman wouldn’t be calling if it wasn’t important, and her instincts screamed at her to answer.

“What happened?’ she snapped.

“I’m revoking your ban from my son,” the cool, collected voice said through the receiver. Or at least, it was a poor attempt at cool and collected, but Aria could hear the tremble. “Henry’s really sick and in the hospital. I need someone to watch out for him while I take care of a few things.”

Instantly her mind went to the darkest place imaginable—Regina hurt Henry. How else do you explain her running off to run errands? But she didn’t have the energy to demand answers or blame her. She felt sick to her stomach. Something was wrong with Henry. All that mattered was that she hurried to his side.

When the line remained quiet, Regina spoke again, her voice softer, defeated. “Please, Aria. I need someone I trust by his side, and I know how much you care about him. Please.”

Those dark thoughts were banished to the back of her mind at her words. Regina was scared for her son’s life. A single tear dripped down Aria’s face while her hand clenched around the phone. “I’m on my way.”


	2. Chapter 2

She sat with Henry for hours, gazing down at the quickly paling young boy she hadn’t seen in months. He hadn’t woken once. His eyelids didn’t flicker, his fingers never twitched in her tight hold, he didn’t even grumble in his sleep. He was…deathly still. The longer she sat there, her gut twisting, the more her rage toward his so-called “mother” grew. How righteous the Mayor had acted as she’d banned Aria from seeing him. Now look where he’d ended up. She couldn’t believe that this might be her last moment with him…and he’d never know she was there.

While she sat there, she talked to him. Not about anything serious. She just rattled on and on, hoping that something she said would urge him to wake up. Or maybe she just couldn’t stand to be quiet when the only noise heard was the beeping of the heart monitor and the oxygen machine.

She told him about how she’d been keeping tabs on him while they were separated, and how she’d been secretly rooting for Emma the whole time. She told him how hard it was to not be able to help, and how bored she’d been without having the boy in her life. She really hoped he heard her. She needed him to know how much he meant to her…before it was too late.

Mary Margaret stopped by at one point with the storybook. She couldn’t believe she’d missed the ugly old tome, but the moment she saw it, she nearly burst into tears. She managed to keep herself together as Mary Margaret explained her intentions. She’d thought that her favorite student might like her to read to him. Aria didn’t say anything, just waited for her to begin reading, grateful to give her raw throat a break.

In a strange twist of fate, the woman had decided to read a passage from Snow White’s story. Aria couldn’t help but smile as she listened. “’And yes, she was beyond hope. Beyond saving. This was her end. When Prince Charming saw his beloved Snow White in her glass coffin, he knew all that was left was to say goodbye. He had to give her one last kiss. And when he did, true love proved more powerful than any curse. A pulse of pure love shuddered out and engulfed the land, waking Snow White and bringing light to the darkness.’”

She watched as Mary Margaret stared down at the storybook, a pained expression on her face. She couldn’t begin to imagine what could possibly get the usually chipper woman down. She wanted to say something but feared she’d make it worse. She resigned herself to stay quiet as Mary Margaret closed the book, a sad smile on her face. She looked down at Henry, placing her hand on top his arm.

“Henry…when I gave you this book, it was because I knew…” she paused, collecting her thoughts and forcing the sob back as it threatened to rip through her. “I know that life doesn’t always have a happy ending.”

Aria couldn’t help but look away, biting down on her lip as she fought back tears of her own. She didn’t know what was going on with the teacher, but her dismal expression, the quiver in her voice, it was enough to break her heart. She wished she hadn’t been so out of the loop with Henry’s life. Not for the first time, she cursed Regina for blocking her from her friend.

“But I thought—" before Mary Margaret could finish speaking, Henry’s monitors began to go off, notifying everyone around that the boy’s health was beginning to fail.

Aria went into a panic immediately, standing straight up from her seat, her heart pounding erratically even as her skin turned cold and clammy. Her gaze kept shifting from the monitors to the deathly pale boy in the bed. “What is it?” she croaked, unable to get her voice to work above a whisper.

“Dr. Whale!” Mary Margaret called, fear evident on her face, tears brimming her eyes. She didn’t want to see this little boy die! The boy that had introduced her to her roommate and best friend. She knew how special Henry was, not just to Emma and Regina, but to countless others. His loss would be devastating to many.

Aria couldn’t even fathom the idea of his death.

Dr. Whale and several other nurses rushed to the alarming room, their faces a mask of calm as they hurriedly got to work. A couple of them veered to the two visitors, ushering them out.

“Dr. Whale, what is that?” Mary Margaret asked, pulling Aria to her side. She knew it was just a matter of time before the young girl began to struggle against the nurse, fighting to stay by Henry’s side. She also knew that they needed to get out of the way and allow the medical professionals to do their job.

“Wh-What-What’s wrong?” Aria demanded, tears spilling from her emerald eyes, soaking her cheeks. She clung onto Mary Margaret for dear life, needing and wanting the support, fearing that without it her knees would give out on her.

“Nurse get them out of here now!” the blond doctor snapped, refocusing his attention on the dying boy.

“What is it? What is it?” the two visitors voices echoed each other’s panic, their eyes wide, unable to tear their gaze from Henry. Before the nurse was able to successfully shepherd them from the room, Aria heard the life altering words that would no doubt haunt her every waking moment.

“His heart rate’s falling. Come on, Henry!”

Mary Margaret and Aria were forced to watch from outside the glass room as the team of doctors and nurses struggled to keep Henry alive. If it wasn’t for the vise-like hold Aria had on the teacher, she was pretty sure she would have fallen to the ground already. A part of her wished she did. She didn’t want to watch her best friend die, and yet she didn’t want to look away either, fearing that doing so would somehow cause the young boy to lose his life faster. She just felt…powerless.

It occurred to her that she should call Regina. It was wrong that she wasn’t here. Henry needed all the love and support he could get. And, despite her personal feelings toward the woman, she was still his mom. But all she got was her voicemail. Rage and hatred for the woman quickly swelled inside her but dissipated just as quickly when she saw a nurse pull out the defibrillator and readied the paddles.

Her gut twisted in pain at the sight. Her body went numb as she doubled over, allowing her knees to buckle beneath her. Her tears turned to snotty sobs, soaking the collar of her shirt, and her throat went raw from trying to hold back a scream.

_Thiscan’tbehappening!_ _Thiscan’tbehappening! This can’t be happening!_ Was all she could think as her sobs quickly turned to hyperventilating. She was almost shocked that her heart could still beat so fast even though it was breaking.

A few minutes passed and the doctors exited the glass room, their expressions somber as they announced the death of Henry Mills.

Mary Margaret covered her mouth as a sob ripped from her chest, tears quickly soaking her pale cheeks. Aria let loose the cry of agony she’d been holding back. Nothing else mattered anymore. Her best friend was gone.

The doctors and nurses left them alone to their grief for the most part. At some point one of the staff did urge them into the plastic seats bordering the walls, but otherwise they were left to their misery. Aria was drowning in it, realization that she would never hear his sweet voice again. She’d never see his eyes light up as he came to her with another theory. She would never get to tease him for his cinnamon and cocoa again. Her life would return to the cursed darkness she’d be living before they ever met, only this time she had no will—no strength—to fight against it.

She didn’t know how long she sat there sobbing. All she knew was by the time her tears had stopped, Mary Margaret was gone, and Emma and Regina were rushing in. They took in the sight of her, one woman with confusion, the other with dread, but they quickly turned their focus on the room that held their son.

Dr. Whale, with Mother Superior in tow, exited the room, expressions morose and full of regret. “We did everything we could,” the doctor told the two women.

“I’m sorry,” Mother Superior added, unshed tears glistening in her eyes, “you’re too late.”

The life drained from their bodies almost immediately, their shoulders slumping in defeat. With watering eyes, Emma slowly and stiffly entered Henry’s room, her heart broken in pieces. She silently prayed to be woken from this nightmare. Surely, after everything she’d gone through, this had to be a dream. She begged for it to be a dream as she took in the sight of the pale, lifeless boy in the hospital bed.

Regina lagged behind as the pain shot through her heart, her stomach churning with guilt and regret. If only she’d never made that stupid dessert. If only she’d accepted Emma’s suggestion and allowed her to leave town in peace. If only she’d been more honest with her son. Her lips and hands trembled as the reality of all she’d done finally hit her.

And for a split second as Aria watched the woman standing there drowning, she could do nothing but think that she was getting all she deserved. She was boiling with rage, her hands clenched in fists at her side as she glared daggers at the Evil Queen. She might not have known what had happened to Henry to bring about this outcome, but her gut told her that Regina was to blame. This woman had taken that sweet boy from her—the same boy that had taken her lonely life in his hands and made it sparkle with possibilities. The same boy she’d admired for his intelligence and unshakeable confidence. The same boy that had put an end to all of her doubts of the town when he told her about the curse. He’d made her life bearable and Regina had taken him away.

She remembered hearing once that if you ever lose someone, you should think about all the beautiful, fun-filled memories you had of them. She didn’t know where she’d heard it, but for whatever reason it’d stuck with her. She’d always thought that if she’d ever experienced such a tragedy this method would help, but now all she could think was that whoever came up with that was full of it. Those memories didn’t help her grief. It didn’t help her to move forward. All it did was desperately wish that Henry was by her side, smiling and laughing and alive.

She briefly wondered if this was her fault. If she’d dismissed his idea from the beginning, if she hadn’t supported his suspicions and theories, then none of this would have happened. He would have eventually moved on. He’d never have gone looking for his mom. But even as those thoughts surface she knew it was ludicrous. Henry didn’t need her there. He would have gone on to do all this on his own. That’s just who he was.

Regina was still rooted to her spot, sniffling and trapped by her guilt. She wanted to hate the woman. She wanted to rage and scream at her. She wanted her to suffer for hurting her son. But she couldn’t. Seeing her standing there, her heart broken and looking incredibly weak, her chest swelled with sympathy. Despite all the nasty things the woman had done, she’d never intended to hurt Henry. She loved him…even if she didn’t always show it in the best way.

So, despite her rage, Aria reached out and grabbed the woman’s hand, squeezing so hard as if she could transfer whatever comfort she held. Regina glanced down at the young girl, a girl that should hate her more than anything for what she did to her, and more tears fell from her eyes. She didn’t deserve the girl’s sympathy—not after she’d been so awful to her—but she graciously accepted it. She squeezed the girl’s hand in return, silently thanking her and giving her some of the comfort she was sure Henry’s friend needed.

Thanks to Aria, she found the courage she’d needed to face her son. She released Aria’s hand and entered the glass room her dead son was laying in. Emma, Dr. Whale, and Mother Superior were already there, ready to handle any questions the mothers might have, or aid in their comfort.

She took in the sight of the boy. He looked so small in that hospital bed—smaller even then she remembered him being. His skin was deathly white with dark shadows under his closed eyes…eyes that would never again open. His chest no longer moved with his breath. He was as still as a corpse.

“No…no…” she cried, turning into Whale’s chest, allowing the anguish to consume her. She couldn’t bare to look at him for a moment longer.

But Emma couldn’t tear her eyes away. She had the most to regret of all. She’d given up her son, she’d tried denying any sort of relationship with him, she’d thought he was crazy all this time. It was only because he didn’t believe her that he’d eaten that apple turnover. It should be her laying there. It shouldn’t be him. As she thought all this, she slowly approached him, latching onto his arm. She hated how cold and stiff it was, but she knew it would be the last time she’d ever be able to touch him.

Tears fell down her cheeks as her lips quivered, her throat constricting as it held in a sob. With trembling fingers, she brushed the hair off his forehead and leaned down. “I love you, Henry,” she whispered as she gave him a final kiss.

And just as it was described in the storybook, a pulse of pure love shuddered out and engulfed the town of Storybrooke, waking Henry and restoring everyone’s stolen memories.

The moment the curse broke, everyone in the hospital and in the town looked around with new eyes, astounded to be back to their old selves. Some rejoiced in the return of their memories while others scampered off to find their lost loved ones. It seemed that, for the first time, the small town had life in it. Everyone was laughing and crying tears of joy.

Everyone except Aria.

The moment the curse had ended, she’d plopped back in her chair in shock, reveling in all that she’d be forced to forget. For a moment she smiled, reliving every memory, every adventure, she held in her mind, but that smile didn’t last long. It faded slowly, her grief and pain returning, as the realization came that nothing had changed for her. She might have her memories back, but she was still cursed to live in this town, separated from her loved ones. They lived far from the Enchanted Forest, so the Dark Curse that Regina cast did not reach them. Besides, there was no magic in Storybrooke. Even if her body allowed her return, there was still no way to get there.

The memories she’d reveled in moments before became a miserable burden. It was like she was losing everyone she loved all over again, like she was reliving that nightmarish day when she was sent away. In a way, she was grateful she’d been cursed all this time. It gave her relief from her grief. She almost wished she was still cursed.

She was shaken from her misery when she noticed a crowd forming inside Henry’s room. There was nothing she could do about her problems, but she could walk through those doors and see her best friend alive. Getting her memories back hadn’t changed how she felt about the young boy. She still loved him.

So, she pushed through the crowd, elbowing her way to the front, desperate to see Henry awake and moving around. She wasn’t disappointed. The ten-year-old was sitting up in bed, a wide smile on his face, while his mother hung onto him, staring around at all the strangers’ faces. Aria couldn’t hold back the laugh of relief that had bubbled up.

Henry’s eyes lit up upon seeing her, his smile widening further. “Aria!”

A single tear dripped down her face as she smiled at him, sauntering over to his side. “Hey, kiddo. Feeling better?”

As his head bobbed up and down, he reached out and pulled her into a hug. She was only too happy to return it. “I’m feeling great now!”

“Good,” she giggled, pulling back and ruffling his hair. “You gave me quite a scare. Let’s _not_ do that again, yeah?”

“Agreed.”

Despite the sadness she felt from the return of her memories, she couldn’t help but smile down at him, relieved that he was alive, and she was able to be with him. She glanced up at Emma, unable to conceal the excitement she felt at finally meeting the woman. After _months_ of watching the two from a distance, she finally got to be with them. She was excited, but also a bit scared. She was the woman who brought such a wonderful boy into this world—not to mention the freaking Savior—so it was more than a little nerve wracking. She worried she’d make the wrong impression.

Emma seemed confused by her presence. Henry hadn’t mentioned anything about the girl. Of course, he’d been pretty wrapped up in Operation Cobra, but still. “Who’s this, Henry?”

Henry grinned. “Aria, I want you to meet my mom, Emma. Mom, this is my friend Aria.”

Aria stuck out a shaky hand to the woman, mustering up the politest smile she could. “I-It’s nice to meet you.”

Emma took the offered hand, giving it one good shake as she eyed the nervous girl. “You, too. I’m sorry we haven’t met sooner. Henry never said anything about a friend.”

“That’s because my mom banned me from seeing her. She said she was a bad influence since she believed me.”

Emma smiled at Aria, a feeling of gratitude swelling inside her chest. At least he’d had one person who had believed his crazy theory all this time. Though, now that she was thinking about it, she wondered if he was so reckless and forceful about everything was because he’d been desperate to break the curse and reunite with his friend.

People were still coming in and out of the room, fulfilling their jobs dutifully as if nothing had happened. Emma glanced around at everyone her eyes scrunching in confusion. “Henry…what’s going on here? If the Curse was broken, why didn’t they go back?”

“I-I don’t know,” he admitted, looking just as confused as his mother.

Now that she thought about it, Aria wondered the same. The two of them had assumed that once the curse had broken, everything would go back to the way it was before the curse. They’d remember who they were, get their loved ones back, and return to the Enchanted Forest. Still, she was grateful they didn’t. For one, if they had gone back, she would have drove herself crazy wondering what happened to Henry. For another, the Enchanted Forest was just one realm too close to the place she’d once called home.

Their thoughts on the subject were shattered by the clattering of instruments falling to the ground. They all turned to the nurse that’d dropped them, concern clear on their faces.

“Are you okay?” Emma asked, going to the woman’s side. Henry joined his mother with Aria following suit. The nurse didn’t respond, just stared out the window. All three turned to do the same. They were entranced by the purple cloud of smoke that was quickly enveloping all of Storybrooke. Thunder shook the hospital, sending shivers down their spines.

“What is that?”

“Something bad,” Henry replied with a quivering voice.

For the first time since she’d met him, Aria disagreed with the young boy. While everyone else feared the sight of the storm coming their way, she found herself smiling. One thought circled her mind as she silently thanked the only man who could be responsible for this.

_Magic._

Once the cloud dissipated, Aria made herself scarce so Emma could help her son get dressed. She longed to rush out and meet up with the person who gave the town this wonderful gift, the hope she’d felt at the sight of the smoky cloud was just barely contained. But she forced herself to wait, to think everything through. Besides, she couldn’t just abandon Henry without any sort of explanation.

She briefly wondered if she should take the time to call her adoptive parents and let her know where she was, but that thought quickly evaporated. They may have spent twenty-eight years together, but now that the curse had broken, they were essentially strangers. The only thing that tied them together were the false memories the curse had created.

Emma and Henry emerged from the room and, with one nod sent her way, the three headed out to the town, eager to see the changes to Storybrooke and figure out what was going on. They quickly found a group of people loitering outside Granny’s Diner, their attention focused on a man and woman. Aria recognized Mary Margaret—Snow White—easily, but the man she had trouble placing. She’d never seen him before, though he did look vaguely familiar.

“The curse…it’s broken?” a man who Aria recognized as the grumpy Leroy asked. She was still having troubles figuring out who he was amongst the many storybook characters in town.

“Well, it appears so,” the man replied, a smile tugging on the corner of his lips.

“So, what do we do now?” Ruby, the waitress from Granny’s, asked the group. Aria had always liked Ruby. She wasn’t afraid to be herself. She wondered if her true self was like that as well.

“Now?” Mary Margaret started, her eyes lighting up with anticipation. “Now I find my daughter.”

“So, it’s true…” Emma spoke up, capturing the attention of everyone huddled around.

The man Aria didn’t recognize, and Mary Margaret turned to Emma as well, their face filled with awe and wonder. It was that look on his face that mirrored Mary Margaret’s perfectly that helped Aria place him. Prince Charming. Of course.

Emma stared back at the parents she’d been ripped away from as a baby, conflicting emotions crossing her face. She’d looked for them for so long. She should be happy at finally finding them…but her heart had closed up long ago to protect herself. She didn’t know how to be happy about this anymore.

Snow White and Prince Charming slowly approached their grown-up daughter, as if they were afraid that this was all a dream and, once wrong move, she would disappear. Their hearts swelled with love and joy, proud of the woman she’d become all on her own. Mary Margaret caressed Emma’s face in her gloved hands, smiling as her daughter tried desperately to process everything that was happening. She pulled Emma into a hug, squeezing her eyes shut as tears spilled from her eyes. “You found us.”

Prince Charming joined in, cupping the back of his daughter’s head with one hand as he pulled them closer. His eyes were brimming with unshed tears. He couldn’t believe that after all these years he was finally holding his precious daughter in his arms.

Naturally, Emma hesitated at first, but she eventually returned their hug. As much as her mind wanted her to deny everything that was going on, she couldn’t hide the fact that it felt right to be in their arms.

Aria couldn’t help but smile at the three, her own emerald eyes filling with tears. She’d never known her father, it’d always been her and her mother, who had passed away many years ago. Still, she was genuinely happy to be a witness to the Charming family finally reuniting. Even as a small twinge of envy reared inside her, knowing that such a reunion for herself would never happen.

She had no one to reunite with in this storybook town.

“Grandpa?” Henry piped up, stepping up to the hugging family, staring up at Prince Charming himself.

Mary Margaret let out a giggle while Emma and her father simply smiled. They pulled away from each other as Prince Charming looked down at Henry, a grin on his face. “Yeah, kid. I suppose so.” He gave Henry’s should a pat before pulling him into a side hug with a chuckle.

_His grandfather is Prince freaking Charming. Of course he is,_ Aria thought with a giggle of her own.

“She did it,” Henry told them excitedly. “She saved you!”

“She saved all of us,” Mary Margaret replied, unable to take her adoring eyes off Emma.

Aria watched Emma fidget under all the stares. “I…well…” she trailed off, unable to deny their words.

“Uh, then why are we still here?” grumpy Leroy demanded, interrupting the beautiful family reunion.

Prince Charming turned to the man. “That, my friend, is an excellent question.”

Aria tuned out after that. She didn’t care why they were still in Storybrooke. What she did care about, was the fact that magic was flowing through the town. Even as she stood there amongst the crowd, she could feel wisps of it seeping into her body. When she’d first glimpsed the purple cloud, her hopes of getting a cure and finding a way home at soared to the front of her mind, but now that she’d had a chance to think about it, dread began to settle.

Now that the curse was broken, she’d be able to age. This wouldn’t have been such a big deal before, but now that Rumple-freaking-stiltskin had brought magic to the town, it was only a matter of time before—

She shook her head, clearing the thought from her mind. _No, I still have time,_ she insisted. If she just found a way to break the curse on her body and get home—and soon—then she wouldn’t have to worry about it. She didn’t have the slightest idea how she was going to go about achieving all of this, but she did know someone who could point her in the right direction.

So, while the group bombarded the Charmings with question after question, Aria snuck away undetected. She felt a little guilty for disappearing on Henry, but she was sure he’d be more than preoccupied with his family. Besides, it was only a matter of time before they went to the man himself for answers, and she wanted to get there long before they did.

She sucked in a deep breath as she stood outside the pawn shop, preparing herself for the worst. There were no guarantees that Rumpelstiltskin would be able and willing to help her. She had to remind herself not to get her hopes up, which was difficult to say the least. What if the answer to getting home was right beyond that door? She could go back to the island, see the family she cared for with all her heart, see the man she loved with her entire being.

She’d give anything, pay any price, to get back to him.

She sighed, running a hand through her long blonde hair. She wasn’t going to get answers standing around outside, so she pulled the door open and walked into the surprisingly clean shop. The bells above the door rang, signaling her arrival. “Mr. Gold?” she called out.

It’d been kind of a long shot coming here. She couldn’t be one hundred percent sure that Mr. Gold was in fact the Dark One. She’d never met him before, either in her cursed life or her previous. But her gut instinct was that it had to be him. He was too shady of a character to be anyone else in the book.

“Mr. Gold,” she called out again when no one came to the front. It occurred to her that, if she said “Rumpelstiltskin” three times the man might appear in his impish glory, but she waved that thought aside. No way it’d be that easy.

When still no one appeared she turned to leave, resolving to come back another time, but before she made it to the door the well-dressed man stepped out from the back, his face expressionless. “What can I do for you?”

She was taken aback by his appearance. She swore she’d never met him before, but he did look vaguely familiar. _Maybe those books are more accurate than I gave them credit,_ she thought as she all but stumbled to the counter the man was standing behind. “You’re the one that brought magic back to Storybrooke, right?”

Rumple was surprised that this girl—who he in no way recognized—was able to come to such a conclusion. It threw him off for a bit, but he made sure to stay composed as he responded. “Indeed, I am.”

_I knew it!_ She cheered internally, chewing on her bottom lip. It made sense the Dark One would want to bring magic back. Without it he was nothing but an ordinary man.

She opened her mouth to blurt out the reason she was coming to him when, all of Storybrooke, was off reuniting with their family, but she hesitated. The Dark One was a notoriously shady character, always granting wishes with a steep price. Could she really trust him to help her? What if he asked for something she couldn’t give him?

Gold could see the wheels turning in the strange girl’s head and, while she hesitated, he took the chance to really look at her. She, too, was familiar to him. The long blonde hair and emerald eyes made him think of a certain, demonic boy he’d rather have forgotten. And, once that thought had sprung to the forefront of his mind, he was able to place her immediately. And he knew exactly what she wanted from him. “It appears you have something you wish to say. Go ahead and say it.”

Aria met his seemingly neutral gaze and, once she did, it was like a light bulb went off in her head. It wasn’t the storybook Henry carried around that had made the man seem so familiar. It took her a moment to remember, but she had met him before. Once, long before she’d made Neverland her home, and he’d been with a certain boy who’d become just as important to her back then as Henry was now.

“I want to make a deal.”


	3. Chapter 3

_*Flashback*_

_Long ago, in a desolate village in the Enchanted Forest, there lived a young girl with her aged mother in a decrepit old hut. They’d only been in the village for a few months, the longest place they’d ever stayed, and had come to like the little town. The rest of the villagers had been leery about their new neighbors, not used to newcomers coming to their hole-in-the-wall town, but they’d grown to appreciate them as time went on. They didn’t have a steady job thanks to their constant moving around, so they did odd jobs for the people they lived around, which endeared the woman and her child to them. They didn’t keep currency with them, so their odd jobs for their neighbors was used to pay for whatever they needed._

_It was a rough life for the two. Constantly moving from town to town, never able to stay in one place for longer than a couple weeks, never having anyone they could trust in. It was no way to raise a child, but Thalia had no other choice. She had no other family for her daughter to stay with, and unfortunately, this was the life the young girl would one day find herself in. It was the price to pay for being an Oracle._

_Thalia loved her daughter, Arianna, immensely. She would do anything to protect her which is why they moved around so often. She was a good girl. She rarely complained when they had to move, she did her part in picking up odd jobs, and she helped maintain their temporary homes. The poor girl was cursed by nightmares, but Arianna would just smile and apologize for waking her mother._

_Oracles were highly coveted. If they stayed in one place for too long, then it was easier for the less than decent characters to find Thalia. Thalia had warned Arianna of all the evil things that could happen to her and others like her should the wrong person get their hands on an Oracle. Stories about the aunt she never knew who had tried to live a normal life had haunted her throughout her life._

_Thalia tried not to use her powers. She wanted to make her and Arianna’s life as normal as she could, but sometimes the visions were far too demanding. She’d be walking through town and, all of a sudden, she’d crumple over in pain as the images flashed through her mind. On other occasions, when those less than decent characters did find her, she’d have no choice but to give them what they wanted so long as they left her and her child alone._

_It was the latter that had ended her life and left poor Arianna…alone._

_Peter Pan had gone to the crone in hopes she’d lead him to what he desired most—the person that would save his life. He wasn’t very confident the Oracle would be able to do this, but after exhausting all other options, he’d found himself at the worn-down hut._

_She’d been waiting for him and knew what he wanted. So, they made a deal. She would tell him what he wanted to know, and in exchange, he’d leave the woman in peace. He had no desire to hurt the woman, so he agreed._

_He’d only just gotten the information he wanted when the old woman fell to the ground. He leaned down to examine her sweat dampened body, confused by her collapse. She had seemed relatively healthy for her age, and he’d have known if she was on her last legs. There were no signs of poison or sickness, though her strange behavior just before could have indicated a disease he hadn’t come across yet. The whole situation was curious._

_He’d been so consumed by these thoughts that he didn’t hear a door opening from the back of the hut, or the footsteps of the groggy sixteen-year old girl creeping out of her room._

_“Mother?” called out a sweet, wobbly voice. “What’s going on? Is everything oka—” the blonde trailed off when she spotted the strange boy kneeling over her fallen mother._

_Peter Pan froze at the sight of her. She was exquisite. Her curly blonde hair was a mess on top of her head, and her pink and beige nightgown was rumpled from sleep, but despite all of that she was the most dazzling girl he’d ever seen. Her flawless skin paled at the sight of her mother, and her emerald eyes were wide as they began to pool with tears. He watched, mesmerized, as she lifted a trembling hand to her mouth in an attempt to stifle a gasp, her knees buckling as she fell to the ground._

_He scrambled away from her when she began to crawl to her mother’s body. His chest was tight as he watched the heart wrenching scene, his breath catching in his throat. He couldn’t explain the reaction he was having. He’d killed and done such horrific things in the past. He’d even reveled in the agonizing sobs of the children that sat back and watched. He’d laughed and played games with those boys that he’d take back to Neverland, manipulated them into believing that their family never loved them, and watched as they slowly became his loyal followers. So, why was he having such a diverse reaction when he hadn’t touched the woman? Why was his chest aching as he watched her child’s pain?_

_Arianna caressed her mother’s deathly pale cheek, a hoarse sob ripping from her throat. “Oh, mother.” She clamped her eyes shut as the tears slid down her face. When she was able to collect herself, she sucked in a deep breath and turned those dazzling emerald eyes to the boy. “D-did you do this?”_

_Despite the compromising position the girl had found him in, Pan couldn’t find a hint of judgement or malice in her eyes. There was nothing but pain and complete defeat._

_He swallowed around the lump in his throat and shook his head. “No. I didn’t.”_

_Her bottom lip quivered as she licked her lips, turning her attention back to her mother. “What happened?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. Her gut told her that the strange boy wasn’t lying. She’d observed that most people would spew a bunch of excuses when caught in their lies, but he was different._

_Most people wouldn’t believe a perfect stranger, but she’d always been able to tell when someone was lying._

_Pan should have been relieved that she believed him, but he was taken aback. How could she trust him so easily? Was she dense? Naïve? Gullible? How could she not blame him after finding him standing above her dead mother? He pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind, deciding to deal with them later. “I asked her to tell my future, and once she’d finished sketching this for me, she just collapsed.”_

_Arianna eyed the tattered parchment in his hand briefly before turning back to her mother, a wobbly smile on her lips. “My mother once told me that, as an Oracle gets older their visions become riskier. Seeing the future takes a lot of energy, so a strong enough vision could kill them.” She looked back to the boy. “That must be one hell of a future you have going for you.”_

_Pan looked down at the sketch in his hands, contemplating the girl’s words. Had the Oracle seen more than she’d told him? How could a simple face have been strong enough to end the woman’s life? “I guess so.”_

_She was curious of what her mother had seen, but it’d be another year before she’d get visions of her own. Besides, it was rude to pry into the lives of perfect strangers. Even if it was for a possible future._

_“Thank you,” she whispered as she wiped at her cheeks. “For staying long enough to tell me the truth. I’m sorry you had to witness such a tragic scene.” She locked eyes with the odd boy and, as she studied his earthly green eyes, she realized that this might not be such a tragedy to him as it would be to another boy her age. The look in his eyes seemed older than he appeared…as if he’d lived long enough to get a taste of all the darkness and evil this world offered._

“Be careful, Arianna. Appearances are not always what they seem,” _the words her mother told her not long ago came floating to her mind. At the time, she hadn’t thought too much of the words she spoke. Her mother had often given her random advice at the weirdest times, so she was used to it. But now she wondered if her mother had foreseen her daughter meeting this boy._

_Perplexed, Pan nodded his head. “Y-You’re welcome.” He made no comment about the “tragic scene.” She didn’t know the things he’d seen. “What will you do now? Do you have any other family?”_

_She shook her head. “No. My mother was my only family. With her gone…I’m not sure what I’ll do. She got us through life by doing odd jobs for our neighbors and took food and clothing as payment. Unfortunately, I’m not near as skilled as she is. I don’t think I’ll be able to do the same.” She climbed to her feet, running a shaky hand through her hair. “I guess I’ll have to grow up and do what I can.”_

_Pan’s gut twisted at her words. For such a young girl to have to grow up so quickly was a shame. She’d never be able to live her life to its full potential. She’ll always have to worry about her responsibilities. He knew better than anyone the toll that could put on someone._

You could take her with you, _a voice whispered in his mind. Take a girl? To Neverland? That’s impossible. She’d never be able to survive on the treacherous island. Not to mention the Lost Boys would never accept her. Besides, even if time stood still there, he knew it was just a matter of time before the girl grew up anyways. Girls often matured faster than the boys did. If he brought her with him it wouldn’t be long before their reckless lifestyle was completely changed._

Is that such a bad thing? _The traitorous voice whispered again. It was true that he and the other boys often got a little too rambunctious. He’d lost count of the boys that had lost limbs or, worst, died. Perhaps having a girl on the island would temper their more dangerous games._

_He watched as the girl stared around at her home, biting at her lip as she tried to stifle more sobs, and something there made the decision for him. It wasn’t the tears drying on her face, nor the way her shoulders seemed slumped in defeat. It was the look in her eyes._

_Alone. Scared. Lost._

_He wondered if someone had offered him a helping hand, a second chance, would his life have turned out the way it did? If someone had just been there for him through all the misery he’d had to endure, would he have turned into this malicious, blood-thirsty menace? Would he have turned out to be a coward?_

_Thoughts of his past life made him realize that he didn’t want the girl to turn out like him. He wanted her to be different. He wanted her to stay as pure as she was in that moment. He never wanted her to dirty her hands or blacken her heart. He wanted the best for her._

_And the best place for someone who was lost was Neverland._

_“You could come with me,” he offered, a small smile on his face, hoping to show his sincerity. He had no doubt that the girl would reject him. Why would she accept such an offer from some strange boy who was partially to blame for her mother’s death?_

_She stared at him, taken aback by his sudden offer. Was he serious about this proposal? Did he truly understand the gravity of what he was suggesting? She was the daughter of an Oracle. Now that her mother was dead it was only a matter of time before she’d inherit the ability._

_“Go with you?”_

_“Yes,” he nodded. “To Neverland. I have to warn you, though. Living there won’t be easy. It will take hard work and a lot of skill to survive on the island, and there are many things there that could kill you, but at least you won’t be alone. There are others there that could help you. They could teach you what you need to know. I could, too. You’d never have to face the world on your own. You’d have a family by your side.”_

_Neverland? She’d never heard of the place before, but that wasn’t too odd. She hardly bothered to learn the names of the towns she’d lived in or passed through. From his description, it sounded like a terrible and wonderful place to live. The prospect of having a family sparked a ray of hope._

_“Why would you help me?” she wondered. Did he pity her? Did he feel responsible for her mother’s death? No…her gut told her that it wasn’t any of that. What else could fuel a stranger to make such a lucrative offer?_

_His lips pulled in a lopsided grin. “It’s what I do. I help those who feel lost.”_

_Lost? Was that what she was? As she looked around her home again, she realized that “lost” was an accurate description. She was lost. She didn’t know how to face the world alone…let alone the next few days._

_“I want to go…” she sighed, glancing down at her mother’s body. “But I can’t just pack up and leave now. I have to put my mother to rest.” She returned her gaze to the boy, a sad smile on her face. “It’s the right thing to do.”_

_He nodded. He understood her desire. This wasn’t the same as brutally murdering parents and snatching the child away without giving them a chance to say goodbye._

_“I could come back tomorrow night,” he offered, the words spilling from his mouth before he’d had a chance to think about it. He surprised himself. He didn’t understand why he was willing to go out of his way for this girl. Why did he want her to go back with him so bad? He knew that bringing the young girl back to the island could cause problem for the other boys—there was reason he only kidnapped boys, after all—but he didn’t care. His darkened heart panged at the thought of leaving her behind. “Take the day to get everything in order and do whatever needs to be done. Once the moon rises in the sky, I’ll come back for you.”_

_Her brows knitted in confusion, but her lips lifted into a small smile. “You don’t have to go so far for me. What if I were to change my mind?”_

_He hadn’t considered that. He’d been so consumed with what he wanted. What would he do if she decided not to come after all? He didn’t want to force her to come to the island with him like he had most of the boys, but the thought of never seeing her again caused his chest to tighten._

_But as he gazed into her liquid emerald eyes, he knew that the small discomfort in his chest was a small price to pay. For whatever reason the thought of this girl fearing him was far more painful than the thought of never seeing her again. The purity and innocence that radiated off her soothed his bitter, darkened heart. Her presence alone had brought a peace to him he hadn’t known in such a long time. Was that why he was having such a strong reaction to her? Was it this grace about her that had sparked the yearning he now felt? He couldn’t be sure. The only thing he was certain of was that he could not bear it if she were to ever be frightened of him._

_As he took the time to debate his answer, she took the chance to ponder about the seemingly young boy. Why had he decided to get his fortune told in the middle of the night? Better yet, how had he managed to find her mother in this out-of-the-way village? Sure, they’d been their longer than any of the other towns, but that was only because her mother had been certain they’d left no trail to follow. She hadn’t had any visions since coming to the town, so she was sure none of the neighbors had spread the word that an Oracle lived among them. So, how did this boy track them down?_

_As she continued to scrutinize him, she came to the conclusion that he may very well be one of the indecent characters her mother had warned her about. Between the tattered clothing he wore and the shadow that seemed to be a constant present in his forest-green eyes, she was sure that he wasn’t a normal boy her age. That begged the question…why wasn’t she afraid of him? She could see that he was struggling with his inner-most thoughts—waging a war between the darkest parts of himself and the light. She should be afraid of the battle going on inside his head._

_But she wasn’t. Somehow her gut told her that he’d never intentionally harm her. Which was ludicrous to say the least. He was just a strange boy she’d found hovering over her mother’s corpse. Danger radiated off him in waves, and yet she was as calm as if she was visiting with an old friend. How could that be?_

_It dawned on her a moment later as she watched the boy’s tantalizing eyes darken further. Perhaps it was because she did not have the room left inside her to fear him. The moment she had suspected he’d seen more than his age suggested, any fear she might have felt was completely taken over by the worry that had bloomed inside her. This odd boy was shrouded in darkness—so much so that even answering a simple question seemed to be a battle for him. She wondered of the things he’d been subjected to in his life. How much evil has he seen? How much has he already committed? She worried that if he were to continue down his current path, he’d be consumed by the shadows that stalked him, leaving him an empty shell fueled by a demon._

_That thought alone was enough to send a shiver down her spine._

_Eventually, Pan came to a decision and, with a sigh, pointed at the window behind her. “I have an idea. If you still wish to go to Neverland with me tomorrow night, then sit before this window and say two simple words:_ I believe _. No matter how far away I am, I shall hear them, and I will come to you.”_

Yes, not a normal boy, indeed, _she thought as she considered his words, staring at the window he had indicated. With a contemplative expression, she turned back to the boy. “And if I decide not to go?”_

_Pan clenched his jaw without meeting her eyes, taking a deep breath to calm himself. He knew exactly what he_ wanted _to do should she change her mind, but he could not bear the thought of her hatred. If he were to take her back with him kicking and screaming, then she would never forgive him. And never was a long time in Neverland._

_He forced his lips to pull into a smile, an attempt to calm her worries, but to her it made him appear…sad. “Then I shall not return. You will never see me again.”_

_Her chest ached as those words passed his lips, though she covered up the reaction with a smile. She was pleased to see that the light had won out in his internal struggle…this time, at least._

_The relief he saw in her expression stung him, but that pain was washed away when he saw the light dancing in her eyes. Was she…testing him? She seemed to already know exactly what she’d choose. Did she only ask to see how he would respond? Under normal circumstances, he’d have prickled at the thought, but the smile on her face convinced him to make an exception._

_Arianna covered her mouth as she yawned, rubbing at her bleary eyes. She was exhausted. Her nightmares had woken her far too soon for to have achieved any rest, but she knew that sleep would elude her. How could she possibly go back to bed when her mother lay lifeless on the floor? As she gazed down at her mother’s body, she felt her throat clench and knew that a fit of sobbing was just around the corner. She had to swallow to push back that sensation, putting off her tears for the moment. She didn’t want to cry. Not just because of the boy that had already been a witness to too much tonight, but because she knew her mother would not wish her to._

“Arianna, one day I will no longer be here. When that times come, please do not cry for me. Rejoice in the life we shared together and live through our memories. As long as you do that you will never be alone.” _She remembered when her mother told her this. She’d only been six-years old at the time, sobbing behind an old oak tree she loved to climb. Her mother had tracked her down and told her that they would be moving on soon. Arianna had known she should accept this fact, but she didn’t want to. She’d finally been able to make a friend. She didn’t want to leave him. She wanted to stay and continue the fun they had together. Her mother’s words were meant to comfort her—to teach her that no matter what happens, no matter who leaves her or who she leaves behind, to remember the good times she had—but all it had succeeded in doing was making her crying worst. It had taken most of the day to calm her after that._

_Pan watched as she shook herself from her thoughts and turned to grab a blanket off the table her mother had been working at. She covered the old woman’s body, concealing the sight of her pale corpse from their eyes. He took the moment to wonder how she could be so strong. She should be weeping endlessly over the travesty of her mother’s death, completely inconsolable, and yet this girl was holding back her tears in order to do what must be done. Was it too late to take her to Neverland? Had she grown up already? What was going to happen to their island if he were to take her back with him?_

_But when he remembered the lost expression on her face all his doubts vanished. He would do whatever it took to make Neverland her home._

_The girl stifled another yawn as she ran her hands through her disheveled hair, glancing around the room again._ She must be tired, _he thought, recalling the groaning he’d heard earlier when speaking with the Oracle. He peeked out the window and saw that it was nearly dawn, the darkness of the night gradually making way for light._

_“You should get some rest,” he told her, watching as she tried, unsuccessfully, to hide another yawn._

_She shook her head. “I’m afraid I can’t. Or rather I don’t want to. I’m worried that all this will just make my nightmares worse.”_

_“You should at least try,” he insisted. When she simply responded with a nod, too drained to say any more, he turned toward the door to give her the chance to do as he suggested. He stopped midway when he saw her crouch down by her mother again, her arms wrapping around her knees. She looked so sad and alone. Something inside him urged him to stay with her, to help her get through the day to come, but he knew he could not. He had to return to Neverland where the Lost Boys were eagerly awaiting him. “Remember what I said. If you decide to come with me, just sit in front of the window and say_ I believe. _I will find you again.”_

_She flashed him a grateful smile. “Thank you. I will.”_

_He nodded and continued for the door._

_“W-wait!”_

_He turned back to her once more, watching as she scrambled to his side, her cheeks a slight shade of pink. “What is it?”_

_She averted her gaze, scratching at her arm nervously. “I-I just remembered…I don’t even know your name.”_

_He chuckled, surprised. It dawned on him that he never learned of her name, either. How silly it was to have such strong feelings about someone when he didn’t even know her name. He felt almost foolish. “My name is Peter. Peter Pan.”_

_She held out a delicate, pale hand to him. “I’m Arianna. It’s nice to meet you, Peter Pan. Thank you for everything.”_

_*End of Flashback*_

Aria stood in front of the counter at Mr. Gold’s Pawn Shop, staring hard at the mysteriously shady man with her jaw set. She knew, from his reputation, that the Dark One had done many cruel, and terrible things. Most of his deals came with prices so steep they almost didn’t seem worth it. Not to mention there was bound to be some sort of twist once the wish was granted. The deal almost never turned out as the requestor thought it would. She was taking a big risk coming to him of all people, but she didn’t care. She wanted to go back to Neverland. Not just because time stood still and her mother’s ability would be prevented from taking root inside her, but because she missed the boys. She missed her family. She missed hunting and sparring and goofing off with them. She would do whatever it took to get back to them.

And she knew she would have to. Magic always came with a price…but whatever it was, she was more than willing to pay it.

Rumple scrutinized the blonde girl before him, the wheels in his dark mind turning. He knew what it was she wished to ask for, just as he knew he wouldn’t give it to her, but he was curious to see what it was she thought she could offer to him. He decided to play along for the moment.

“You wish to make a deal with me?”

“Yes.”

“And what exactly do you think I can do for you?”

She chewed on her bottom lip before answering. “I wish to go home. The problem is, I was poisoned and the only way for me to survive was to flee from my homeland. If I were to return, the poison would kill me instantly. I was hoping that perhaps, with your power, you could make a cure for such an ailment.”

The corners of his mouth twitched, amused by her attempt at flattery. If she thought stroking his ego was going to get her what she wanted, she was sorely mistaken. Such tactics may work on the demon boy Peter Pan, but he was not so easily swayed. “And if I were to do this for you, what would you provide me in return?”

The moment she’d recognized him, she knew exactly what price she could offer. From what the storybook said about him, he never did anything without a reason. It wasn’t such a stretch to assume he’d put the Dark Curse in the Evil Queen’s hand, and if that was the case, then that means he wanted to be in this land. Thoughts of the boy with the dark messy hair she once played with flashed across her mind, remembering all too vividly the tale he’d told her of his arrival in Neverland.

“Your son. Baelfire. I could help you with him.”

Mr. Gold froze, his body humming at his son’s name. How was it that this strange girl could possibly know of his son? It’s been centuries since the two had last been together. Anyone that may have known of their connection were long gone. Well, almost anyone.

“How do you know my son?” he spat.

She gave him a smile, her expression full of pity. “I’m not surprised you don’t remember me. We only stayed in that village for about a week before we were forced to flee. While I was there, though, I met Bae and we played together while our mothers worked. He was the first friend I ever had.” Her smile faded and she looked away. “I met him again in Neverland. He got there shortly after I did. He was truly the best friend anyone could ask for.”

His eyes glistened with unshed tears. Hearing this girl speak of his son just made the need to find him all that much stronger. “You say you could help me with him? How?”

Memories of the boy’s malice toward his father sprung to the forefront of her mind, causing all emotion to drain from her face. “When I asked him how he got to Neverland, he told me what you did. He did not speak very kindly of you. He was heartbroken, and I’m sure you know just as well as I, what a broken heart can do to someone.” She paused, turning her attention to the gaudy necklace that hung from the jewelry rack next to her. The magic the green stone held gave her the courage to continue. “If you’re here then that means Bae must be here, too. Not in Storybrooke, but in this world without magic. And I have a sinking suspicion that his feelings toward you haven’t changed. If you cure my body, then I will help you make amends with him before I return to Neverland.”

It wasn’t pleasant to hear that his son held a grudge against him. It was painful, really. He’d never meant to hurt Baelfire. He loved him. But he’d long suspected that his son would be angry with him, even after all these years. So long as he got the chance to see him again, he could worry about reconciling with him later. He did not need, nor want, this girl’s help.

Even if he did, the price would be far too steep for that.

“No.”

She jerked with surprise, causing the necklace she’d been examining to fall from the rack and clatter against the counter. Her head whipped to Rumpelstiltskin’s face, watching as the tendrils of darkness filled his dry eyes. “No?”

“No, I will not take you up on your offer. When I find my son, and I will find him, I will make amends with him on my own. Now, unless you wish to buy that necklace, I suggest you leave.”

Aria’s hands were trembling as she stared wide eyed at him. “Do you doubt my words about your son?”

He shook his head. “Not at all. I’m sure my son dislikes me very much. Who can blame him? What I did to him was treacherous, and I’ve spent my entire life trying to find him to make up for it.”

“Then why—”

“For one thing, without a sample of the poison, I cannot make a cure. And even if you had such a sample after all these years, I still wouldn’t help you. Because as much as I fear Bae’s hatred,” he snatched Aria by the arm, squeezing enough to get his point across, “I detest Peter Pan even more. I will not do something that will bring him happiness.”

She tore her arm from his grasp, tears of frustrations springing to her eyes. “You’re a monster. Bae will never forgive someone as dark as you.”

He chuckled at this, amused by the irony. “That’s funny coming from you. While you’re trying desperately to get back to Pan, have you even considered that he might not be the boy you left behind all those years ago? As dark as I am, I have my son and my love to keep light in my heart. Pan? He has nothing of the sort.”

Aria swallowed around the lump in her throat. She didn’t want to listen to another word, but she knew he was right. She’d seen the darkness in his eyes the first time they met. It had subsided while she remained on the island. Sure, he had still been rough and mischievous, but he could also be kind and sincere. She didn’t want to believe that her absence had changed him, but she feared the worst.

Tears spilled from her eyes at the thought that he could be falling deeper and deeper in the abyss of darkness that had threatened to consume him. The Peter she’d known could be disappearing as she stood there, and she would never know. Her chest tightened, her heart breaking as if it were the day she left all over again. She had always believed in the boy that had taken her in when she’d had nothing. She had always believed in his potential for good…but she knew that the darkness inside him had taken root. It would not be easily denied.

She feared that by the time she got to see him again, the old Peter would be gone for good.


	4. Chapter 4

She schlepped around town dazedly after she left the pawn shop, just letting her feet drag her with no specific destination. The Maine wind seemed colder than it had before, crawling against her flesh, leaving goosebumps in its wake. She pulled her jacket closer to herself in an attempt to get warm, but the weather wasn’t the problem. It was the thoughts that now plagued her. She wanted to believe that he was still the sweet, mischievous boy she loved. She wanted to believe in the warm, passionate kisses they’d shared, the laughter that had rang throughout the island, and the sweet nothings whispered late at night. He’d given her a place to call home and a family to love. It was a struggle adjusting to life on the island, but he’d been patient and helped her. He had allowed light into his heart, fought off the demonic thoughts that had badgered him for so long on a daily basis. She couldn’t even imagine what had come of him after all these years.

Was it arrogant of her to think that he’d lost that light in her absence?

As she wandered around absent-mindedly, she wondered if she should make a stop at her foster parents’ place and grab a few of her belongings. She would have to find a new place to live. Now that their memories had returned, she couldn’t continue to live with the strangers. But as she passed by the small, two-bedroom house and watched the man and woman reuniting with their real daughter, all thoughts of interrupting vanished.

With nowhere else to go, she found herself perched on a cold bench in the park, the wind biting into her flesh relentlessly. It was time she faced reality now. She had no home. No family. The hope that had sparked after the curse broke was gone, leaving her heart filled with nothing but pain and sorrow. Her real family was impossible to reach, and now even her fake family was gone. The despair she felt threatened to devour her.

Too engrossed by the self-pity that weighed her down, she didn’t hear the footsteps that were quickly approaching. She pulled her jacket closer to herself with a sigh.

“Aria?”

She glanced up at the group of people stopped just off the path, quickly wiping her teary eyes when she recognized Henry and his family. They all wore mirrored expressions of confusion.

She forced a smile on her face, hoping it came across as genuine. “Hey, kid.”

He plopped onto the bench beside her while his family talked amongst themselves. “What are you doing here by yourself? When you disappeared earlier, we thought you were off looking for your family.”

She ignored the pang in her chest at the mention of her family. “I don’t have any family, Henry. Not in Storybrooke anyways.”

“Y-You mean, they’re in the Enchanted Forest?”

She didn’t have it in her to explain the complicated situation, so she just gave him a sad smile and went with it. “Yeah.”

He hung his head in regret, having just learned that the Dark Curse had destroyed the Enchanted Forest. “I’m sorry.”

She shook her head, giving him a small pat of reassurance. “Don’t worry about it, Hen. You should get back to your family. You don’t want to keep them waiting.”

“What are you going to do now?” he asked, lingering in his spot. He didn’t want to leave her alone when she seemed so sad. “Will you go back to your foster family?”

She chewed on her lip, debating her answer. “Uh, no. I can’t go back there. They found their daughter and I just…I don’t think it’s a good idea for me to be there.” She let out a sigh, averting her gaze. “I’m honestly not sure what to do.”

She was lost. Again. This startling realization only made the absence of her family that much harder to bear. She felt just as she did after her mother’s death, afraid to face the future ahead of her, a future she’d have to endure alone. And to make matters worse, now that magic was flowing throughout Storybrooke, the curse of the Oracle would eventually surface. It seemed there was no end to the misery she’d be forced to suffer through.

“You can come with us.”

Shocked, Aria turned her gaze to the Savior, watching as she stepped away from her newly found parents. She seemed a bit embarrassed to announce her eavesdropping but continued to approach the kids.

Henry’s eyes lit up, bouncing in his seat, clearly excited by the idea of his best friend living with him. “That’s a great idea!”

Begrudgingly, Aria gave Emma a tight-lipped smile and shook her head. “Thanks, but I couldn’t possibly intrude. You guys have a lot going on as it is. It wouldn’t be right of me to push myself onto you.”

“Oh, c’mon, Aria! It wouldn’t be a bother at all! Right, grandma? Grandpa?” Henry glanced over to Mary Margaret and Prince Charming expectantly.

The two exchanged quick glances at each other before smiling fondly at the young girl. “Of course! We’re more than happy to help you!”

“See?” Henry shook Aria’s arm enthusiastically, causing her to let out a little giggle.

She peeked up at the three adults, fidgeting. “You guys are sweet, really, but you guys just found each other. I’m sure you want to just spend time as a family. Besides, I should find a place on my own.”

Emma smiled down at her, endeared by her thoughtfulness. “Well, why don’t you stay with us until you find a place? Trust me, sleeping in the park isn’t nearly as fun as it might sound.”

Aria squirmed in her seat, unaccustomed to such compassion. Her family of Lost Boys had been helpful, sure, but she’d had to work hard to prove herself to them before then. She wasn’t used to people being kind without giving them a reason. “Are you sure that’s okay? I don’t want to be problem. I’ll find a place right away.”

“Of course, it’s okay! C’mon, let’s go.”

Aria and Henry shared excited glances before jumping off the bench, following the Charming family to Granny’s. The three adults couldn’t stop the smile that lit up their faces as they watched the two, their excitement infectious.

Ruby was waiting outside when they arrived at Granny’s, fiddling with the car keys in her hand. Emma ushered the two to the waitress’s car, idling on the side of the road.

“We have some stuff to do right now, so Ruby is going to watch you guys for a bit. We’ll be back as soon as we can, alright?” the blonde explained, glancing between the children.

Aria’s brows furrowed, confused by the tension in the woman’s voice. “What’s going on?”

Emma gave her an uneasy smile. “We’re not too sure. Henry can fill you in on what we know so far. Don’t worry. We got this.”

Aria and Henry nodded, though worry was evident on their faces.

“Keep them safe, Ruby.”

Ruby shot her a reassuring smile before driving off.

Henry explained everything that’d occurred in her absence as they drove. The Blue Fairy had told them that magic was in Storybrooke and as they headed to Mr. Gold’s shop, Archie told them there was an angry mob outside of Regina’s house. After they’d successfully dispersed the crowd, they locked his mom away in a jail cell for the safety of everyone, including herself.

“Sh-She also said that…the Enchanted Forest is gone…” he trailed of, giving her time to grasp the gravity of this revelation.

She swallowed around the lump in her throat, nodding. She knew what he was suggesting—that the family that had been supposedly left in the Enchanted Forest was gone—but that’s not what bothered her. She’d long since come to terms with never seeing the place she’d once lived, but the idea that the Enchanted Forest was gone unnerved her. Thoughts of the little village she’d once shared, the very village that her mother’s grave sat, had brought her comfort. If she had wished it, she could go back to her former home and visit the Oracle’s resting place, but now it was no longer there.

Once she was all caught up, they spent the rest of their time with Ruby flipping through the storybook for old time’s sake or going through the newspaper to see if there were any apartments for rent or any jobs looking to hire. She wasn’t sure how she would afford a place on her own. She’d still have to go to school just like the rest of the kids her age, but she was determined to make it happen.

Their attention was diverted from the book and newspaper when the Street lights began to flicker, followed by an icy cold chill that ran through the air. Ruby hurriedly ushered them back to Granny’s diner to see what was going on and take shelter from the wraith’s attack. Henry and Aria should have been just as terrified as the rest of the customers ducking under tables, but there was a spark of excitement mixed with their fear. The existence of the wraith was proof that magic truly was in Storybrooke, and the potential of where their futures would lead filled them with wonder.

At some point, during their brief reprieve from the wraith’s vicious onslaught, Mary Margaret had called and explained the plan—that they were going to use Regina as bait at the Mayor’s office and send the wraith through some portal back to their land. Ruby told the kids that she would bring them to the office to meet up with everyone after it was settled.

While they waited, Aria spent the time answering all the questions Henry threw her way about the Enchanted Forest. What was it like? Did she ever go on any adventures? What did she like most about living there? They were simple questions, but she still found herself struggling to answer them. It wasn’t until that moment that she’d realized her memories of her former home was blurry. She found this unsettling to say the least.

“Honestly, I don’t remember much about it,” she admitted, scratching her chin sheepishly. “See, my mother was an Oracle, so we moved around quite a bit. I never really took the time to appreciate the nature or the villages we passed through. We were always so worried that someone might find us.” She glanced at the storybook, tracing her fingers over the trees on the page. “Now that I know I can never go back…I wish that I had taken the time to appreciate my surroundings more.”

Henry gripped her shoulder comfortingly. “I’m sorry. About your mom. It can’t be easy being away from her.”

For the first time in a long time, Aria’s eyes glistened with tears as she remembered the woman who’d given her life. “It’s not.”

The moment was shattered when another Street light outside sparked, drawing attention to the big, wide windows. It’d been so quiet that she’d almost forgotten all about the wraith.

“I hope everyone’s okay…”

Aria pulled the young boy to her side, returning the comfort that he’d graciously given to her. “Everything will be okay, kid. I’m sure of it.”

But her words were proven false.

When they arrived at the Mayor’s office, Regina had David—who Aria had learned was Prince Charming’s name—pinned up against a wall, vines wrapped around him so that he wouldn’t struggle. Emma and Mary Margaret were nowhere to be seen.

“Mom?” Henry called as he took in the scene.

Startled, Regina turned from the dangling David, zeroing in on her concerned son. “Henry, what are you doing here?”

“What are you doing?”

“It’s okay. You’re safe now,” she soothed, ignoring his question.

David collapsed in a heap on the floor once the vines that had been holding him up disappeared. Ruby and Aria rushed over to make sure he was okay, but their attention was still tuned into Henry and his mom.

“W-Where’s my mom and where’s—”

“They’re gone,” Regina interrupted, her face twisting into an expression of faux sympathy. “They fell through a portal. They’re…Henry, I’m sorry.”

Shocked by this news, Henry yanked away from her. “No, you’re not. You really are the Evil Queen. I don’t want to see you again.”

Pained, Regina shook her head, eyes glistening with tears. “No, don’t say that. I love you.”

“Then prove it,” Henry demanded, his jaw setting. “Get Emma and Mary Margaret back. And, until then, leave me—leave everyone—alone.”

While Henry dealt with his mother, David had ushered Ruby and Aria to the door, where they watched the confrontation. Aria’s heart flickered with confliction. On the one hand, she was still angry with Regina for all that she’d done. She hadn’t forgiven her for banning her from seeing Henry, nor for what had happened that put him in the hospital. But on the other, she knew how much Regina loved her son. She could see the pain in the woman’s face as Henry backed away from her, joining the three in the doorway.

“But where will you go?”

David pulled Henry closer to his side, his convicted gaze shooting daggers at the Evil Queen. “With me.”

And, with that, the four of them left the former Mayor in her office, crumpled on the floor, weeping the loss of her son. Aria felt bad for leaving her there alone, but she still forced herself to go. Regina had been dangerous enough when she was just the Mayor of Storybrooke. With her magic restored, she was far more deadly.

**

A week passed and there was still no sign of Emma and Mary Margaret. The week had gone by mostly uneventful, aside from the time Regina attempted to force Henry to stay with her using her magic. Aria breathed a lot easier once the woman had come to her senses and let him go.

The three were staying in Mary Margaret’s apartment, which had seemed slightly strange to the young girl since the woman herself was not with them. Maybe it was because Snow White and her daughter weren’t there that made the place feel so lonely. David had taken it upon himself to work as the acting Sherriff and, once he’d discovered that the Enchanted Forest still exists, he was constantly pushing himself to find a way to get them back. Wanting to repay his generosity for letting her stay with them, she did her best to lend him a hand wherever he needed it. She’d wake up early to make breakfast, watch over Henry, and even filled in at the Sherriff’s station when she could. She was grateful for the distraction from the thoughts that kept trying to slink their way to the forefront of her mind.

Her birthday was only a few months away. Once she turned seventeen…she decided she’d worry about all that when the time came.

It was another busy day for David when he took Aria and Henry to the stables, using the reprieve in his busy schedule to introduce Henry to his new horse. Aria was there mostly to keep Henry company, but since she’d watched her mother muck out stalls before, she figured she might as well teach him how to do it properly.

Aria sat in the corner of the stall, watching on sleepily as Henry brushed out the attractive, mild mannered horse. She stifled another yawn and rubbed at her bleary eyes, wishing there was more she could do to wake up. Since she started staying with David and Henry, the two kids were forced to share a room, which had been a bit of an adjustment, but they’d made it work. Unfortunately, Henry often tossed and turned at night, his groaning echoing through the room. She wished that was all that was keeping her up, but even more unfortunate, was the fact that now that her memories had returned, so too had the nightmares that had plagued her since childhood. She almost wished she could go back to being cursed, if only to get a good night’s sleep.

“Gramps says you’ll tell me when I’m ready to ride you,” Henry cooed to the horse. “So…anytime. Like, soon?”

Aria chuckled at the young boy’s eagerness.

Suddenly, the horse started bucking and jumping around the stable, panic-stricken whines piercing their ears. Alarmed by the beast’s behavior, Aria reached out to pull Henry away, but the horse had managed to knock him to the ground before she could. As she watched the creature gallop out of the stall, she could hear the cries of the other trapped horses in the stalls around them.

She hurried to Henry’s side, helping him to his feet. The two turned to look after the frightened horse they’d spent their afternoon with, but their view was blocked by an unfamiliar man who was staring at them in a strange way. As if he’d never seen children before in his life. A chill ran down her side, her instincts screaming at her to take Henry and run away.

“You…you got to stop,” Henry told the man, climbing to his feet. “You’re…you’re scaring the horses. A-Are you hurt? Can we help you?” He offered the deranged man his hand, treating him the same way a person would treat a frightened animal.

The man stared at Henry’s outstretched hand in fear and panic. Aria knew something awful was about to happen.

“Let me help you.”

Aria’s fears proved right when the man snapped and reached out to grab the boy. Thankfully, Aria was able to push Henry out of the lunatic’s reach but wound up in his path herself. She hadn’t had a plan. She just didn’t want her best friend to get hurt. Instinctively, she pulled her hands up to shield herself, but as soon as the man stepped toward her, she felt an odd tingling in her hands. She felt something inside of her release and, the next thing she knew, the man slammed against the stable wall.

Henry took this as his chance to flee but turned back to wait for Aria outside the stall door. She hesitated, shocked by the peculiar sensation she’d felt and how the man had been thrown back. “Aria! C’mon!”

Too late, she tried to make a break for it, only to be grabbed by the man that had gathered himself in the chance her frozen form had provided. His hand wrapped firmly around her neck, lifting her from the ground with a strength she had no idea he had. She struggled in his grasp, hitting his arm and trying to kick at his torso, but it was like the man was made of stone. Nothing she did released her, and she was starting to lose oxygen the more she fought.

Was this it? Was she going to die? No, but she couldn’t! She had to live. She had to stick around to help David and Henry get their family back. She couldn’t just abandon them like this. But then…what about after Emma and Mary Margaret returned? She wouldn’t be needed any longer. She’d be forced to face her impending future…alone. She’d have to be alone, otherwise she’d be a burden to the people who were kind enough to take her in. Maybe it was best if she died now…

But then…what about Henry? Would this man turn his attention to the young boy? Would her friend fight to get to her and turn the monster’s attention to him? She couldn’t let that happen! She had to protect him!

Relief flooded her system when, out of the corner of her, she saw David and Regina arrive on scene. David immediately pulled Henry into his grasp, thankful that his grandson wasn’t hurt. A smile tugged on her lips, grateful that his guardians had come to rescue him.

“Daniel! Let her go!” Regina’s voice rang out, turning her attention to the woman standing before the stall.

The man’s eyes flickered with recognition. A moment later his hold on Aria loosened and she crumpled to the ground. David yanked her to safety as she coughed, rubbing her tender neck.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” she croaked, stifling another cough.

He pulled her into a brief hug before nudging the two kids toward the barn’s exit. “Go. Go!”

One hand still on her throat, she grabbed Henry’s hand and pulled him out and away from the craziness unfolding inside the stall they’d spent so much time cleaning. She spotted David’s truck parked just up ahead and she quickly pulled the two into the front seats. She struggled to catch her breath, wincing when another cough tore through her sore throat. Henry rubbed her back gently, comfortingly.

“Aria…you saved me.”

She managed to compose herself, shooting him a weak smile. “Of course I did, kid. I’m not going to let anything happen to you.”

His lips twitched with a smile, but his attention averted to her hands. “H-How did you do that? How did you push him back like that?”

She had been so reoccupied with trying to escape the monstrous man that had almost forgotten about the pulse of energy that had knocked him back and given Henry enough time to run to safety. She followed his gaze to her hands, her brows furrowing. “I-I don’t know. I’ve never done something like that before.”

Henry hesitated. “D-Do you think it’s…that it’s magic?”

She froze, fear flooding her veins as she considered his words. “I-I’m not sure…”


	5. Chapter 5

Later that night, in the room she shared with Henry, she sat in the corner watching over the young boy as he tossed and turned in his bed. She could feel her eyes drooping the longer she sat there, but she was too afraid to fall asleep. She couldn’t help but replay everything that had happened that day. She recalled the pulse of power that rushed through her body and out of her hands, knocking Regina’s beloved back into the stall. She could still feel the ghost of tingles on the palms of her hands. That magic had made her feel strong and powerful…but also afraid.

She knew that Henry and David were worried about her. She’d been quiet and jumpy all night, scared that at any moment someone would surprise her, and she’d accidentally use her magic to hurt them. Henry tried talking to her, to further analyze the events that had taken place, but she hardly responded. Eventually, he gave up, realizing that she needed time alone with her thoughts. David saw all this but assumed that she was still in shock over the attack. Neither Henry nor Aria told him about her magic.

It wasn’t just the shock of the day that kept her awake. Even if the adrenaline wasn’t still running through her, keeping her awake, she didn’t _want_ to sleep. She knew that all that awaited her were terrible nightmares and she was afraid that she’d get so frightened and worked up that she’d accidentally harm Henry. Magic ran on feelings after all. It was her fear for Henry’s life that had awakened them in the first place. No, she couldn’t— _wouldn’t_ —let anything happen to him. He was like a little brother to her. She vowed to do anything to protect him.

Could magic do that? What would be the harm in keeping this magic and using it to protect her best friend? But as she stared down at her shaky hands and imagined using them for good, she already knew the answer. No. She’d witnessed first hands what magic could do in the wrong hands. It was too unpredictable. Too dangerous. She wasn’t confident enough that she would be able to wield it without hurting someone.

She couldn’t just keep sitting there agonizing over it, so after a moment of deliberation, she snuck out of the Charming’s loft, the only thought running through her mind was of the one person in town that would be willing to help her.

She hated hiding things from Henry and David, but she knew it was the only way. They wouldn’t understand her fears—wouldn’t understand the horrible things she’d seen. They knew all too well that magic could be used for more than just darkness…but dark magic was the only thing she’d ever seen. She was afraid those experiences would influence her. So, she ran away.

Her cold, bare feet slapped against the pavement as she ran up to the huge, white mansion and began to bang on the door incessantly. She hadn’t felt the cold biting into her as she ran all the way there, but now that she was just standing there, she could feel it seeping in through her thin jacket. She was regretting not taking the time to bundle up before leaving.

“Alright, alright, I’m coming!” the voice came from the other side of the door, the irritation in her voice covering up her groggy sleep.

Regina Mills opened the front door, a black silk robe pulled tightly around her. She blinked a couple of times as her dark eyes adjusted quickly to the sight of the under dressed young girl at her doorstep. “Aria? What are you—” she was cut off as Aria pushed her way past her, barging into the house uninvited, “No, please, come in.”

She closed the door behind them and watched with mild interest as Aria rubbed at her arms, her whole body shaking to get warm. Regina took in her ensemble, taking note of the light jacket wrapped around her, the thin sweats, bare feet, and school bag hanging off her shoulder. Her motherly instincts kicked in, softening the irritation she felt at the late-night visit.

“What are you doing here? Do you have any idea what time it is? Shouldn’t you be in bed?”

“I need your help.” The words rushed out of Aria’s mouth so fast it took the sorceress a second to register her words.

Her brow lifted and she crossed her arms. “ _You_ need _my_ help?” she asked, disbelief dripping in her voice. “And what exactly do you think _I_ can do for you?”

Aria chewed on her bottom lip, rocking on her feet as she hesitantly spoke the words she’d been avoiding all night. “I…I think I might have magic.”

That’s all it took to suck the woman in. She ushered the chilled girl into the kitchen and sat her down at the kitchen table, insisting that she wait to say more until she’d prepared some tea, hoping something warm would soothe her.

She handed a steaming blue mug to Aria as she clutched onto the red one in her hands. “Drink this. It’s Chamomile. It’ll calm you down long enough for you to think clearly.”

She was hesitant, but Aria brought it up to her lips and sipped. As the hot liquid poured down her throat, she almost let out a sigh of relief. The warmth cleared her foggy mind and allowed her to think more rationally, and when she had, she was more certain of her decision than before.

“Now. Start from the beginning. Why do you think you have magic?”

Aria sat the mug down on the table gently, taking a deep breath before beginning. “Earlier, when that man—Daniel—attacked us…he was originally going after Henry.” She glanced up into Regina’s dark gaze and swallowed, seeing the guilt and remorse that had settled in her eyes, but continued before she could interrupt. “I pushed him out of the way so that he wouldn’t get hurt. I put my hands out to protect myself and then…the next thing I knew…he was slamming into the stall door.”

Regina chewed on the inside of her cheeks as she considered the girl’s words. “Did you…did you feel anything before he’d been knocked back?”

She nodded. “It was…this pulsating power. I felt it go through me and out through my hands…” she trailed off, refusing to divulge how good it had felt when she’d released that magic.

From Aria’s explanation, Regina was almost certain that what she described was magic. There was hardly any doubt about it, but she wondered how she had not sensed that power from her before. Even now, as she sat across from her, she couldn’t sense a single thing. She wasn’t sure how that was possible, but she knew of a test to be sure one way or another.

“Aria, come with me.”

The Mayor led her up the stairs to her office, where she had brought a couple potion ingredients with her from her vault. She went to one of the tables in the corner of the room and pulled out a dark antique wooden box.

“What are we doing in here?’ Aria asked, glancing around the room. She’d never been inside Henry’s house before—they’d spent most of their time at Granny’s or at the park—so she was intrigued by all the fancy decorations. When she received no answer, her gaze narrowed in on the woman pouring in vial after vial into a crystal bowl in front of her. “What are you doing?”

“I’m making a potion that will tell you whether or not you have magic in your veins or if it was something else.”

“Something else?”

Regina’s excited dark eyes glanced over the girl quickly before dropping back to the bowl. “Yes. For instance, perhaps someone had tried teaching you magic before, but you simply forgot.”

Aria recalled the enticing feeling that had run through her when that force had left her body as she shook her head. “There’s no way I could forget something like that.”

Regina poured the contents of the bowl into a small vial before turning her full attention on Aria. “Well, what if someone had tried teaching you and something bad happened? The person you are, you’d be a wreck with guilt, and maybe that person thought the best way to protect you was for you to simply forget about it. Do you know anyone with magic that would do something like that?”

An image of Peter rushed to the forefront of her mind. It wasn’t unthinkable that he could—and would—do such a thing. With how fascinated she was with magic back then, why wouldn’t he teach her any? She felt guilty for even considering it, but she had to admit it was a logical possibility. “If I had been made to forget, then how would I use it now?”

It wasn’t lost on Regina that Aria hadn’t denied knowing someone with magic, but she didn’t say anything. “Well, when someone’s in a state of panic like you were today, instinct takes over. Your body will do whatever it can to protect you. If you were born with magic, then maybe this jump started your powers…but if not then it could have simply been an accident.” 

“Okay, so how long do we have to wait until the potion is ready?”

She looked down at the vial in her hands. “It’s nearly done.” She waved her hand and a thick needle appeared in a cloud of smoke. “All that’s left is a drop of blood.” She noticed Aria’s suspicious glare pointed at the needle in her hands and rolled her eyes. “What? _Now_ you don’t trust me?”

“You _are_ the Evil Queen. You sort of specialize in Sleeping Curses, and my true love isn’t in in Storybrooke.”

“Why the hell would I want to put you under a Sleeping Curse?”

Aria shrugged. “Well, you did tell me to stay away from your son, and now I’m living with him.”

“I also allowed you _back_ into Henry’s life.”

“Because he was dying, and you needed to help Emma find a way to save him.”

Regina rolled her eyes at the girl’s petulance, though found her slightly comical. Here she was, turning to the Evil Queen for help, and yet she still had the audacity to run her mouth. She wondered briefly if the girl’s gutsy behavior was a product of her true self having awakened from the Curse, or if she’d always been this way? She shook that curiosity from her mind. “I’m also trying to be good. For Henry.”

Aria was aware of this and, as far as she knew, the woman had kept her word. Kidnapping and holding her son hostage must have changed something inside her. She wanted to believe that Regina was evolving, to give her the benefit of the doubt. After all, other than cursing her and forbidding her from seeing Henry while under that curse, Regina had never done anything to her personally. Aria was the type of person to trust someone until they proved her wrong for doing so. She wanted to believe in Regina.

But she couldn’t take the chance. If living her life in Neverland, getting poisoned and forced to abandon her home, only to come under a curse for twenty-eight years had shown her anything was that she needed to be different. She needed to be smarter and stronger. She had to protect herself.

She shook her head, pulling the school bag from back. “Still, I’m not taking my chances.” She unzipped a pocket that was well hidden on the side of the bag and yanked out the dagger she kept there. “I’ll use this.”

“You keep a knife in your backpack?”

Aria unsheathed the weapon from the leather covering, inspecting the blade. “We live in a town filled with magic, and my best friend’s mother is the Evil Queen. I don’t go anywhere without protection.”

“Good point,” Regina conceded, her lips lifting in a smirk. Sure, a dagger wouldn’t do much to _her_ , but she wasn’t the only danger in Storybrooke. It was smart to keep protection close.

Aria ran her finger over the tip of the blade, barely wincing as it dug into her flesh, causing a small pool of red to swell from the minor wound. Without hesitation, Regina scooped the blood into the vial and watched as the red mixed with the rest of the potion.

“So, how long will this take?”

The Mayor corked the vial and set it down gently on the table behind her. “It should only take about five minutes. If the vial changes color, then you have magic in your blood. If it remains the same, you do not.”

“Sounds simple enough.”

A loaded silence settled between the two as they waited for the results. Aria, lost in thought of what the results would reveal, hoped that she wasn’t born with magic and that this whole thing was just some sort of mistake…but then that would mean that her love took her memories away. She didn’t want that possibility to be true either. She’d always trusted Peter, even when they first met and he was nothing but an unruly, arrogant child who didn’t care what happened to others, she’d still had faith in him. She couldn’t bear the thought that he would lie to her—especially about something as important as this.

Her internal struggle was interrupted as Regina cleared her throat, grabbing the girl’s attention. “I, uh…I just wanted to apologize. For what happened earlier today.”

Aria shook her head. “No, you have no reason to apologize. I know it wasn’t your fault. David told me that Whale was behind the whole thing.” Her hands went to her throat absentmindedly, wincing at the tender flesh that was beginning to bruise.

“Still, it was because of my inability to let of the past that…brought about it. If I hadn’t kept Daniel’s body, then—”

She rested her hand on the woman’s arm, interrupting the woman’s attempt at an apology. Regina’s gaze shifted from the floor to the young blonde, her dark eyes watery. “He was your first love and you didn’t want to say goodbye. Believe me, I understand that. I don’t blame you at all.” She felt her lips pull into a tight-lipped smile as she swallowed around the lump in her throat. She couldn’t help but empathize with the Evil Queen. Sure, their circumstances were very different, but the end result’s the same. They’re both alone and separated from their love, unable to be with them ever again.

Time and time again she found herself surprised by the sixteen-year-old girl. One minute she’s cold and defiant, standing up to the Mayor despite the public setting, and the next she’s sweet and comforting. She hadn’t forgotten the way the girl had been there for her when Henry was in the hospital, even after all the hostility between them. She just…she didn’t understand Aria Janssen.

Her quivering lips lifted to a grateful smile, patting the back of the hand that rested on her arm. “Thank you…and I’m sorry for how I treated you before the Curse broke. I shouldn’t have forbidden you from seeing Henry. It was wrong.”

Aria shrugged. “That’s all under the bridge now. As much as I wanted to hate you for that, I understood where you were coming from. Even while I was under the Curse, I still understood.”

“That reminds me. How _did_ you figure everything out before the Curse broke? It shouldn’t have been possible for anyone under its affects to even consider such a thing.”

She smiled, recalling the days when she and Henry went around trying to figure out everyone’s identity. In a strange way, despite the fact she was cursed, she missed those days. “It was thanks to Henry. I mean, I’d always felt that something wasn’t right about Storybrooke, but it wasn’t until Henry showed me his storybook and told me his theory that I started to believe. Your curse clouded my mind so I couldn’t think for myself. That’s why I was at Archie’s all the time. If it wasn’t for that I never would have met him.” Her expression softened as she thought of her best friend, a loving smile pulling at her lips. “Henry got me to believe. He’s a very special kid.”

“Yes, he is.” Regina smiled, her own expression mirroring the love that was clear on the young girl’s face. With her determination to help Aria stronger than before, she glanced at the clock before turning back to the vial. One minute until they discovered the truth behind the phenomenon that occurred earlier in the day. “I just hope that one day he’ll be able to trust me again.”

“He will,” Aria replied, her voice filled with clear confidence. “Just give it time.”

Calmed by her words, Regina lifted the vial to her face, watching as the brown, murky contents transformed into a bright, sparkly red hue. Her lips lifted into a smile as she turned back to Aria. “Congratulations. It appears you have magic.” A small spark of excitement ignited in the woman as she considered how to proceed with this knowledge. Perhaps she’d be able to help Aria control her magic, to be as adept with the power as she was. Maybe she could get to know the girl her son cared for so much, to see in her what he saw. Maybe, if Aria showed him not only that Regina was doing something good, but that magic wasn’t bad, then she could finally be redeemed.

The relief Aria felt in knowing that her memories of Peter could be trusted was immense, but the overwhelming fear she’d initially felt quickly overcame it. She’d spent all night thinking long and hard about what she would do if she really did have magic. She knew what needed to be done, though she doubted Regina would want to aid her in her plan. She had no choice but to try and convince the sorceress.

“You know, you must be pretty powerful to use such magic without meaning to,” Regina told her as she kept herself busy with the cleanup. “With the proper training, you could easily—”

“No.”

One of the ingredients rattled in her hand as she jerked in surprise, turning towards the girl that had sought her out for help and taking in her despondent form. “No?”

Aria kept her eyes trained on the floor, unwilling to reveal the fear that was hidden in her eyes. “No. I want to get rid of it. I want it gone.”

“Why would you want to get rid of your magic?” Regina scoffed. “It’s powerful. If you learned how to use it then you wouldn’t have to carry around a dagger. You’d be your _own_ weapon.”

She knew it wouldn’t be easy to convince Regina to help her remove her magic, but she had to try. She didn’t have the time to learn control. “I can’t.”

“Why don’t I give you some time to think about this?” she insisted, unwilling to let the young girl make such a life changing decision on the spot. “Magic is a part of you, and whether you realized it or not, it makes you who you are. Think very carefully about this.”

“You don’t understand,” Aria whispered, turning her frightened gaze to the Queen. “I don’t have _time_ to think about it?”

“Don’t have time? Why not?”

She took a shaky breath, her hands forming fists in her lap. “I share a room with _your_ son. Tell me, what happens when I have a nightmare and accidentally incinerate him?”

A shiver ran down her spine as she thought over the girl’s words. It’s not like that was an impossible or irrational fear. Magic ran on emotion after all. It takes but a single moment to lose control and seriously hurt someone. And yet, she couldn’t bring herself to jump gun. She wanted Aria to be sure, to consider the pros and cons, and how this may affect her future. “Well, I’m sure if you talked to David you could easily arrange—”

“No!” she interrupted, jumping from her seat. “You can’t tell David about any of this. Or Henry.”

That’s when it clicked. As she studied her shaking form, took in the sweat that was beading on her pale forehead and the wide eyes surrounded by dark circles, Regina finally understood why she was so eager to get rid of her newfound power. “Are…are you afraid of magic?”

She bit her lip, unsure how to respond. She hadn’t always been afraid of magic. Once upon a time, she’d even been fascinated by it. The various and beautifully stunning ways it could be used, the possibilities it presented had thrilled her. She knew better than anyone how easily someone could use it for more than just darkness. It could be used to create happiness. But all magic comes with a price. Even good magic could be dangerous, and in the wrong hands it could kill. She just had to look at the woman before her to know that. But did this caution mean she was afraid of it? Peter had had magic. Dark magic, the same as Regina and Mr. Gold. When all she’d experienced was this unpredictable, dangerous, raw power how could she be confident in her own abilities?

“Let’s just say, I’ve seen what magic can do in the wrong hands…and unless I am one hundred percent ready to accept that part of my life…I don’t think my hands are the right ones.”

It didn’t answer her question completely, and her reasoning was acceptable. Everyone should be cautious where magic is involved, and as good as Aria is, she wouldn’t want to risk studying something so erratic that could potentially hurt someone. She understood, and yet she still didn’t feel right about taking her magic away. She feared that Aria would come to regret this moment one day.

As she considered this, her eyes strayed over to a spell she’d been working on for herself. She wasn’t sure whether she was going to use it until today. “How about…instead of taking away your magic completely…I just put it on hold until you’re ready?”

“You can do that?”

Regina plucked the spell from her desk, her hold around the delicate parchment feather light. “This spell will bind your magic. The only way to get it back is through me. If I purposely gave it back, or if I lost my magic, or even died, your magic would be restored. I…I was thinking about using it on myself…”

“For Henry,” she guessed, eyeing the thin paper in the woman’s well-manicured hands.

She nodded. “I decided not to today. I realized that…if I was ever going to prove to Henry that I can be good…I have to do it the hard way. No short cuts. But if you really want to do this, then I can make it for you.”

“Yes.” The word spilled from her lips without a second of hesitation. “How long will it take to make?”

Regina pursed her lips, still wishing Aria would reconsider. “Less than a day. I have most of the ingredients here, but I’d have to pick up a few from Gold.”

“A day?” Aria gasped, her voice slightly pitched in panic. She could just imagine sneaking back into the Charming loft, drifting off to sleep, and awakening to a blazing fire. Her hands trembled at her side as the thought sparked more fear.

“It’s a tricky spell,” Regina explained. “I have to be careful and take my time. Trust me, you do not want me to mess up with this. Otherwise you could end up stuck as a toad or something.”

She ran her hand down her face, pushing back the anxiety that was starting to overwhelm her. “I can’t go back to Mary Margaret’s apartment until my magic is gone! And if I’m not there in the morning, David and Henry will be worried!”

She was exhausted. Ever since the curse was broken, she’d been sleeping less and less. This was the first time she’d tried to stay awake so long and she could feel it wearing her down. Her eyes felt heavy, her limbs were sluggish, and her mind was foggy. She was so tired that even the fear she’d felt before was muted now, more like a silent alarm in her head than a blaring siren. At this point, she was willing to go back to being cursed if it meant she’d get one night of rest.

Regina could see how drained she was, causing her to worry further about the rash decision she was making over her magic. She chewed on her lip, contemplating how to proceed. “Why don’t you stay the night here?” Immediately, Aria’s attention returned to the woman, her eyes wide. “I can call David and let him know that…that I found you sleep walking outside, and because I didn’t want to wake Henry up, I had you stay over. Tomorrow, I can call the school and them you’re sick, and by the evening you can head back home.”

Aria considered this. It wasn’t the worst idea. David didn’t know her very well, and as distracted as he was with running the town and trying to get his family back, he could easily fall for it. Henry might be suspicious, but he trusted her. He wouldn’t say anything until she was ready to tell him. She hoped anyways. “Why would you help me?”

She couldn’t be sure of the answer herself. Was it because she was a fellow sorceress? Was it because Henry cared for her? No, the truth was much simpler. “Believe it or not, Aria, I did like you at one time. You made Henry happy, something I was unable to do. It wasn’t until you guys became secretive that things changed.”

“Thank you,” she breathed, relief flooding through her, erasing the tension she’d felt since discovering her magic.

Regina smiled and nodded her head, gently folding the spell into her pocket as she finished packing everything else away.

They were eager to put this plan into action. They were both tired and in much needed rest. She led Aria up the stairs to a guest bedroom across from her own, and while she watched the girl tentatively climb into the enormous bed, she left a voicemail on David’s phone. She had to hold back a laugh as she watched Aria kneading the feather down comforter as if she were a cat trying to get comfortable.

“He didn’t answer so I left him a message. I expect I’ll be getting a more than unpleasant phone call in the morning.” Aria’s response was to nod and continue fidgeting with the blankets. “You should get some sleep. You’ll be helping with the potion in the morning, so I need you at your best.”

She froze, chewing on her lip. The thought of sleep had awakened the muted panic she’d felt before. “I’m…I’m scared. What if I have a nightmare and—”

“It’s alright,” she cut her off, sitting on the edge of the bed, giving the girl’s hand a reassuring squeeze. “If anything happens, I will take care of it. I am the Evil Queen after all. You don’t have to worry.”

As quickly as the fear had surfaced it was quickly washed away by the woman’s words. She took a deep, calming breath and then pushed herself further under the fluffy covers. Regina’s assurance that everything would be okay soothed her, enough so that she could no longer fight the sleep that desired to drag her into the depths of darkness. “Thank you, Regina.”

She gave the young girl a genuine smile, her heart warmed by the sincerity in her voice. Without another word, she rose from the bed and left the room, shutting out the light on her way out. She didn’t understand why, but for the first time since the curse was broken and she’d lost Henry, she felt almost…happy.

Aria still had her nightmares, but her magic didn’t run rampant without her consent. Perhaps it was due to how at ease she felt in that warm, soft bed—or maybe it was because she knew that the “evil” sorceress would take care of her. Either way, it was the first time in a long time she was able to sleep until morning.


	6. Chapter 6

The next day began with a most unpleasant phone call from David. Regina had barely been able to say hello before he bombarded her with panicked question after question. After giving him the agreed upon conversation about sleep walking and colds, the call ended with the promise that he’d be stopping by later to check up on Aria. A fact Regina was less than thrilled about.

Once Regina had hung up, she woke Aria up so they could get started on the potion. Most of their day was spent compiling the list of ingredients and Regina walking her through it step by step. Despite the grueling task, they managed to have a lot of fun together. Regina enjoyed teaching the young girl about magic. Likewise, Aria loved learning about it. She found her interest piqued as Regina went on a lengthy explanation about each ingredient and why they needed to combine them precisely.

A tiny spark of regret ignited within her, but she had to stick to this plan. At this point in her life, magic was just too dangerous for her to wield. For herself, and everyone around her.

The two were a part only once as Regina made a quick stop at Mr. Gold’s for a few items she did not possess. Naturally, he was suspicious and nosy about the visit and need for such powerful herbs, but after forcing her to reveal what the potion was for, he handed the ingredients over happily. Thankfully, she didn’t get into the details of _who_ the concoction was for. Aria was already on the Dark One’s bad side. She didn’t need to risk making things worse.

Unfortunately, the woman ran into David on her way back to her white mansion. The sight of the sorceress sparked his growing concern for Aria’s wellbeing. He took the opportunity to interrogate her in person.

“She’s fine,” Regina told him once he’d finished with his string of questions. “She has a bit of a cold, but nothing to worry about. I’m heading there right now to make her something special. She’ll feel better by tonight.”

He eyed the leather pouch in her hands warily. “You’re going to use magic on her?”

She rolled her eyes, suppressing a well-deserved huff. “Relax, Charming. It’s just herbal tea.”

Of course, he didn’t believe her in the least, nor did he trust her with the young, impressionable girl. He wanted to drive over to the Queen’s house and snatch Aria away, but he had a million different things going on as the acting Sheriff. Besides, if he thought reasonably about it, hurting Aria was the last thing Regina would do. She was Henry’s best friend. If anything happened to her, Henry is the one that would suffer. He had to believe that Aria was safe in Regina’s care.

He left her with a promise to get Aria once he’d picked Henry up from school. There wasn’t much time left between then and now, so Regina had to rush to get home and finish up the rest of the potion. She’d sworn to keep Aria’s magic a secret, and if she was going to keep her word they needed to hurry.

It didn’t take much to complete. A dash of eye of newt and a pinch of crow’s beak later and it was finished. As it simmered over a low heat, the fumes from the liquid gave off a funny smell which wafted throughout the huge house. Aria’s stomach turned as she thought about ingesting the foul magic. Now that she knew what was inside, she seriously debated with herself whether she really wanted to drink it. She seriously considered changing her mind about the whole thing, but as Regina filled a small vial with the brackish liquid, she held firm.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Regina asked, taking in the girl’s nervous demeanor. “I could always train you, make it so you control your magic rather than the other way around. You can stay here, with me, until you feel comfortable being around Henry and David.”

She smiled, grateful for her concern. “I appreciate the offer, but I just can’t. I’m not ready now. Maybe I will be one day, but today is not that day.” It was difficult to turn her down. It was a tempting suggestion. It wasn’t like she had hated that power. It had made her feel more alive than she had since leaving Neverland. It sounded odd, but that power had reminded her so much of Peter. It wasn’t that it was dark or dangerous, but because of the feeling of excitement that erupted within her. Neverland was always a thrill and being around Peter made that rush even stronger. A part of her didn’t want to relinquish her magic because of this, but it was the only option. She didn’t have the time to gain control. Not with her birthday fast approaching.

Besides, Regina had already done so much for her. She could have easily thrown the barefoot girl off her porch, but she was nice enough to hear her out and has spent an entire day working on a potion to help. She wouldn’t feel right imposing on her further.

Regina let out a sigh, disappointed with the response. “Well, when you do feel ready, come to me. I’ll be more than happy to teach you what I know.” She handed the vial over to Aria, and as she watched the young girl pour the putrid liquid down her throat, a sad smile formed on her face. It wasn’t like her circumstances, but she couldn’t help but think back to the day she drank the poison that made her infertile, all to spite her mother. It wasn’t like Aria was giving up her magic for good, but she had potential to be a great and powerful sorceress, even better than herself, and she was watching her give up the chance to try. Similarly, she’d given up her chance to be a great mother to a child of her very own.

Even so, Henry was her world. Given the chance, she still wouldn’t change a thing. Not if it meant she’d never have her son.

Aria winced in disgust at the taste of the vile potion. At first, nothing happened, but after a moment she felt her eyelids drooping and her body growing heavy. It was like the energy she had before was cut in half. “I feel…so tired.”

Regina nodded her head in understanding. “It’s because when you have magic, the magic in the earth and air helps you stay energized. When you drank that, it cut off that extra bit of energy you usually get. Don’t worry. After a good night’s rest, you should be good as new tomorrow.”

Her mind was foggy, so she couldn’t really comprehend what the woman was saying. Even so, she gave a nod and staggered into a chair, resting her head on her folded arms across the table.

David arrived just as Regina had finished cleaning up the kitchen. There was still a faint odor in the air, but if he noticed he didn’t say anything, too distracted by Aria’s sluggish demeanor. From the truck, Henry watched as his grandfather ushered his friend from the house he once called home. His worry for the seemingly sick girl only intensified when she flashed a grateful smile to his mother. Something happened between the two, and whatever it was, he didn’t like it.

He kept his concern to himself for the moment. This wasn’t a conversation they should have in front of David. He’d have to wait until they were alone to find what happened.

However, when they arrived back at the loft, she crawled into bed right away. Once her head hit the pillows, she slept like the dead. Charming noticed the worry on Henry’s face as he gazed after the girl, but he suggested they leave her alone for now. If she wasn’t better in the morning, they’d take her to the doctor to get checked out. Even so, Henry couldn’t shake off the dread he felt settling in his stomach. They checked in on her every so often, but other than the usual tossing and turning from her nightmares, she seemed okay.

She awoke the next morning feeling more refreshed than she had in a very long time. She’d still had the nightmares that constantly plagued her, but she’d managed to sleep throughout the night, nonetheless. The clock on her nightstand read 6:45 a.m. She knew David’s alarm wouldn’t go off for another fifteen minutes and, judging by Henry’s tossing and turning, she was fairly certain the boy would awaken before then. Lately, it seemed that his sleeping form had been suffering more and more. The shadows under his eyes had been getting darker and darker, and he seemed more exhausted during the day.

Unable to do anything about his dreams, she quickly got ready for the day and headed for the kitchen. The least she could do to repay their warmth and kindness was ensure they had something delicious and filling to start their day. As she shuffled around cracking eggs and whisking batter, she allowed her mind to drift for just this one moment.

She thought about how lucky she was to be blessed by these loving people. They didn’t have to take her in. They could have sent her back to her foster family, or left her in the hands of the fairies, but they didn’t. They allowed a stranger into their life simply because Henry cared for her. They didn’t know anything about her, and yet they put their trust in her. She wanted to do more for them to show her appreciation—more than just making breakfast and keeping an eye on Henry. She wanted to be active in the search for a way back to Emma and Mary Margaret. She wanted to pour her heart and soul into reuniting their family once again.

And in order to do that, she was going to have to push all other concerns away. She couldn’t put her all into this endeavor when so much weighed on her mind. So, as she flipped the pancakes and lifted the bacons from the sizzling pan, she packed away all thoughts of impending birthdays, Oracles, magic, and even her love, Peter Pan, into a metaphorical box. She would no longer allow herself to be distracted.

“Wow! That smells amazing!” David’s booming voice startled her from her thoughts, nearly causing her to drop the egg she was just removing from the skillet. “Sorry, didn’t mean to surprise you.”

She shook off his apology, grinning at the man and his disheveled grandson as they took their seats at the counter. “No worries. I woke up a little early this morning, so I figured I’d make breakfast.”

David accepted the plate of pancakes, eggs, and bacon she handed him and smiled at her fondly. “You must be feeling better, then.”

She sat a full plate in front of the sleepy Henry and nodded her head. “Oh, yeah. Much better.”

And, although she was ensuring that her behavior proved her words true, Henry watched her carefully. He couldn’t shake the suspicion that’d ignited within him the moment his grandfather had told him Aria was with Regina. He was firmly convinced that something had happened, despite her refreshed and bubbly mannerism this morning. “So, my mom took care of you then?”

She thought back to how nice and helpful the Mayor had been to her and smiled. “Yeah, kid. She took very good care of me.” Henry still seemed disturbed, so she quickly switched the subject, turning to Charming. “How’s the search for Emma and Mary Margaret coming?”

David didn’t keep anything from them. He explained that he’d been hitting dead end after dead end, but that he wasn’t giving up. He would find them no matter how long it took. He mentioned that the search would go a lot easier if there weren’t so many fires to be put out in town, but that frustration was just the price he paid for deciding to be the acting Sheriff.

Aria saw the opportunity to be helpful and quickly jumped on it, offering her services at the station after school. Naturally, he was a bit leery about the idea, but her earnest expression swayed him, accepting her offer so long as it was just answering phones. The way she jumped up and down in excitement, you’d think he’d just agreed to making her the new Mayor. He couldn’t help but laugh.

Once they’d finished with breakfast, cleaning up, and getting ready for the day, they headed out. David had a new lead he wanted to check out, so he left Henry and Aria at the school a bit earlier than usual. This gave Henry the perfect opportunity to get answers to his questions.

“What really happened yesterday?” he demanded from her once they’d taken a seat on the stone bench.

The smile she’d worn before faded as she gazed down at her friend. “What do you mean? I was sick—”

“No, you weren’t. I know you’re lying. I saw you sneak out the other night. You weren’t sleep-walking.”

She’d known that Henry wouldn’t fall for the ruse, but she wished he’d let it go. What happened with her magic was her choice and it was the right one. She couldn’t have it right now—maybe not ever. She knew that Henry wouldn’t be happy with her sneaking out and facing his mother on her own, but if she’d stuck around and talked things out with him, he’d have tried to dissuade her. As Regina said, magic was a part of her, whether she’d known about it or not. Henry wouldn’t be happy with her giving it up. But he didn’t know what was coming.

She sighed. “You’re right. I was lying. I snuck out of the apartment to go see your mom.”

“Why?”

“I needed her help.” She glanced over at him, taking in the dissatisfied look on his face, and sighed again. “I needed answers, Henry. I needed to know for sure if I had magic or not…but really, I was scared. I didn’t know what to do. What if I hurt you or David without meaning to? I could never forgive myself.”

He swallowed, his hands forming fists in his lap. “Did you…did you ask my mom to take away your magic?” When he received no answer, he began to panic. “You shouldn’t have done that! Magic…it’s a part of you. You can’t just give up on who you are!”

The corner of her mouth twitched as she regarded the boy. “You sound like your mother,” she teased.

“Aria.”

She gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze in an attempt to reassure him. “Don’t worry. I didn’t give up my magic.”

As surprise crept onto his face, his brows furrowed in confusion. “You didn’t?”

“No. I wanted to,” she admitted, flashing him a self-deprecating smile, “but your mom found another way. She was working on this spell to bind her magic, to take it away temporarily, so she used it on me.”

“You didn’t have to do that,” he insisted. “You could have kept your magic, and someone could have taught you how to control it. Maybe not my mom, but—”

She cut him off. “No. Your mom suggested the same thing, but…Henry, I’ve seen what magic can do. I’ve seen what happens if someone loses control of it. I’m just—I’m not ready to take on such a huge responsibility like that.”

He chewed on his lip, conflicted. While he understood her reasoning and fears, he didn’t believe it was right. Even if it was temporary, she’d still given up a part of herself. How could he accept it? “But…”

“Henry, it’s okay. We have more important things to worry about right now. Like getting your family back. Once I feel ready, I’ll ask your mom to restore my magic. I promise.”

He still wanted to argue, to convince her to change her mind, but when he saw the set in her jaw, he knew it was futile. When Aria believed something, she could be just as stubborn as he could. She wasn’t going to waver in her choice. “Okay,” he sighed.

They didn’t speak about her magic again. Just as she’d offered, she split her time between school, watching over Henry, and manning the phones at the Sheriff station. It was quite the workload, but she never complained. She was just happy to be helping out.

When the dwarves found the diamonds in the mine, they all celebrated at the diner, excited that, soon, Mary Margaret and Emma would return. And when Billy ended up ripped a part by what looked to be a wolf, Aria offered her services up to Granny. She would work at the Diner so David, Granny, and Ruby could get to the bottom of things. The old woman had hesitated initially, but after encouragement from the Prince, she relented.

Any other day, Aria would have been offended by how quickly David had jumped on her change of occupation, but she knew that it was because he was worried about her. Things had just gotten a lot more dangerous than they had been up to that point.

Granny had given her a quick tutorial on how to run the register and make some of the more complicated drinks, and by mid-day she had it down. She’d always been able to adapt to various tasks. She thanked her time in Neverland for that.

While Aria was busy with the diner, David had called Regina to watch over Henry. It wasn’t the most pleasant idea he’d had, but he knew he’d be safe with his adoptive mother.

Later the night, after the murder was solved, and their worries shifted to Henry’s nightmares, Aria found herself up late trying to work on homework while the Evil Queen and Prince Charming are close by Henry’s bed sleeping. She couldn’t concentrate on the math work in front of her—not when her birthday was getting closer day by day. She’d tried to lock it away, but it was no use. She had to think of a way to deal with becoming an Oracle without burdening David and Henry.

She’d hoped that Mary Margaret and Emma would be back before then, but now that Jefferson’s hat was destroyed by the malicious king that tried to frame Ruby, she feared the worse.

“They’re…They’re alive,” Henry shouted as he sat up in bed, jolting her from her thoughts. “They’re alive!”

“Who?” David asked, rushing to the boy’s side. “Who’s alive?”

“My mom and Snow.”

“I told you, kid. I told you!”

“Was…Was it that woman you saw? Did she tell you this?” Regina asked, her brows turned down in concern.

“Her name’s Aurora,” he explained. “She said they have a way home, but there’s someone in their way—someone they need us to help them stop. Someone only Mr. Gold knows how to defeat.”

“Who?” Aria inserted as excitement sparked in her emerald eyes. Relief had swept over her at the news, her earlier fears temporarily put to rest.

Henry turned to the Queen. “Your mother.”

While the adults and Henry turned to Rumpelstiltskin for aid in defeating the Queen of Hearts, Aria opted to work at Granny’s. She didn’t want to get in the way of their fight and, given her feelings for Mr. Gold, she didn’t want to be around the man anyways. It was better for her to keep busy elsewhere.

When she overheard Granny complaining about gaps in the work schedule, Aria offered to fill in wherever the woman needed her, so long as they didn’t conflict with school. Once they’d finished going over the times, she returned to the front to help Ruby man the counter.

“You know,” Ruby started, “you don’t need to work so much. You’re a kid. You should be out having fun.”

“Oh, I’ve had enough fun in my life to last centuries. No, I need to do this if I ever want to have my own place.”

“Your own place? Aren’t you a little young to be living on your own?”

She shrugged. “I’ll be seventeen soon. Back in our land, I’d have already been married.”

Ruby relented, amused by the thought. “Speaking of which, who were you back in our land? Anyone I’d know of?”

Aria thought back to the stories about Peter Pan and Neverland. The stories were so…different from the boy she knew, and the only girl in the story was Wendy. She was fairly certain the girl was just made up to make the story more interesting, but she wondered if _she_ was supposed to be that girl. If so, whoever transcribed those stories were wildly misinformed.

So, she just shook her head. “I wasn’t anyone special. Just a girl.”

The conversation ended once the diner began to fill with customers. The two worked side by side, working through the rush as efficiently as possible. The two had just managed to catch their breath, when Granny told Aria that David had called. She relayed the message he’d left with the old woman, explaining how he was going to be put under the sleeping curse since it had become too dangerous for Henry to continue. He was trusting her to watch out for Henry while he was out.

She rushed from the diner, her feet pounding against the pavement as she desperately ran to Gold’s Pawn Shop, hoping to make it there before David underwent the curse. Unfortunately, she was too late. David was trapped inside himself—only to be awakened by true loves kiss. With Mary Margaret stuck in the Enchanted Forest, it’d be awhile before her guardian would be up again. She wished she’d been able to talk to him once more before he did this—just in case.

She remained by Henry’s side all throughout the day, each giving the other words of encouragement whenever the fear and worry became too much. They tried to keep each other distracted by talking about random things—mainly school or the Percy Jackson series—but most of the day was spent in silence as they stared down at the sleeping Prince.

Luckily, after having to rush to the Wishing Well to successfully convince Regina to undo the trap Gold conned her into helping him set, Mary Margaret and Emma emerged from the portal triumphantly. There were hugs and laughter as the family reunited once again and, as Aria watched Snow White rush off to kiss her Prince Charming, she couldn’t help but feel…dejected. All talk about true love just made her long for the mischievous boy that ruled over Neverland. Knowing she’d never again see him made that pain all the more agonizing.

But she soldiered on, determined not to let the pain of his absence disturb the happy reunion of the Charming family. The morning after their return, Aria had awoken unusually early, her nightmares having been too much to endure. She tiredly dressed for the day and headed for the kitchen to prepare breakfast—a task that would end up taking much longer than she was used to due to the two extra mouths to feed.

She worked quickly but silently, distracting herself with the menial task before her in order to escape the affects of the dreams that haunted her. Each day her birthday drew nearer, and nearer which only gave rise to more horrible night terrors. She was functioning on less sleep than she was used to.

Emma, drawn in by the smell of sausage and French toast, entered the kitchen dressed and ready for the day. Not long after, the woman was joined by her mother, who still donned her pajamas.

“What smells so amazing?” Snow inquired as she yawned.

As an answer, Aria presented the two with plates filled with sausage, French toast, and scrambled eggs. She gave them a bright smile in an effort to hide the exhaustion she felt. “Good morning!”

“Good morning,” the Princess replied, her eyes focused on the plate before her. “You did this?”

“You didn’t have to make us breakfast,” Emma told the tired girl, though her stomach grumbled at the fragrant aroma of the food before her.

Aria shrugged. “It’s okay! I like helping out. Besides, I’ve been making breakfast since I started staying here, so I’ve gotten used to it.”

“And it’s been incredible,” David interjected, entering the room in a white t shirt and flannel sweats. Henry staggered in after him, nodding his sleepy head in agreement.

She smiled at the two boys before placing their plates at the spots they took beside the women, then got busy cleaning up the mess she’d created while she ate.

“You can clean later. Sit down and enjoy this delicious breakfast you made!” Snow told the teen, watching her move about amusedly.

“I’m okay,” she insisted, “I like multitasking.”

“Snow’s right. C’mon, Aria. Sit,” David added, clearing the spot next to him.

Too tired to argue, she relented and took her seat. She listened quietly as Henry drilled the women with question after question about the Enchanted Forest and the adventure they’d had. While the Charming family talked, she couldn’t help but feel like an outsider. They weren’t doing anything to make her feel that way, it was just…this wasn’t really her family. Her family was in another realm—a realm forbidden to her. She didn’t belong here. Not just with the family, but in Storybrooke. She belonged in Neverland.

This sense of unease followed her throughout the day, cementing as they tried to maneuver through the now cramped loft. It just wasn’t suitable for five people to be living there. She needed to find her own place soon.

Around noon, while Emma and Henry ran errands, she headed over to Granny’s to help set up the Welcome Home party and, the second she had a chance, she talked Granny into adding a few extra shifts to her already packed workload. The old woman wasn’t too happy about it, and she expressed her disapproval, but eventually gave in. She needed the help, and Aria seemed determined to work herself sick. At least this way the woman could keep an eye on the teen.

Later that night, as the party commenced, Aria sat in a corner booth flipping through the newspaper in hopes of finding an affordable home. Regina, who’d been invited by the Savior for having aided in their return, noticed the preoccupied girl and headed to her table.

When she saw the local listings page in her hands, her brows furrowed in concern. “You’re looking for a place to live?”

Aria yelped at the Queen’s presence, startled by her sudden appearance. “Jeez, you scared me. Um, yeah. The loft isn’t big enough for five people. I was planning on doing this anyways, before they got sucked into that portal.”

“How are you going to afford a place?” Regina demanded, flabbergasted. “You’re sixteen-years-old and still in school.”

She sighed as her eyes trailed back to the paper. “Yeah, it’ll be tough, but I’m working at Granny’s a bunch and I can get another part time job if I need to. David let me work at the Sheriff’s station while Emma was gone, and she said I could keep on if I wanted to.”

“Won’t your studies fall behind with all that extra work?”

She shrugged, circling a potential residency she wanted to look into. “I’m pretty decent in school so probably not. I usually get all my schoolwork done before I leave, but if I don’t then I can just work on it at night. I’ve been having more trouble sleeping lately, so at least I’ll have something to do.”

“How are you going to get someone to rent to you? The curse might be broken, but I doubt any landlord is going to rent to an underage girl on her own.”

“I was talking to Emma and Henry about it earlier, and she said that she’d be willing to put her name down on a place and pitch in with a little bit of the rent. Of course, there are certain stipulations, but I’m okay with that. I am sixteen after all. It’s only natural to have some conditions attached.”

Regina couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Aria had an answer to all of her concerns, which was all well and good, but did she really need to go to such lengths to live on her own? “That sounds…like a lot. You lived with your foster parents before the curse broke, right? You couldn’t stay with them?”

Aria’s pen froze over another listing. “Uh…no. Once they remembered who they were and found their daughter, I couldn’t stay. They were barely getting by with just me. They didn’t need a stranger staying with them, too.”

There were a lot of reasons Regina wished the curse hadn’t been broken, and this was yet another one added to that growing list. “It sounds like you’re going through a lot, but are you sure living by yourself at such a young age is a good idea?”

She shrugged again as she continued her search. “I don’t have much of a choice. Mary Margaret and David insist that they don’t mind having the extra roommate, and Emma and Henry agree…but I do mind. There’s just not enough room. I don’t want to be a bother.”

Regina stared at the girl in contemplative thought. She’d been fond of Aria during the curse—before she and Henry became secretive—and that affection had only been rekindled when they spent the day preparing the potion to bind her magic. Taking a deep breath, she offered, “You know, you could come live with me. My house is much too big for just one person, and with Henry gone, it gets lonely at times. Honestly, I wouldn’t mind the company.”

Aria directed her quizzical gaze to the woman. “Are you saying that because you think by me living with you Henry will want to come over more?”

“Well, I’m not going to lie, that thought did cross my mind at first,” she admitted.

“And what was the second thought? You think that now that Emma and Snow are back, I’ll want my magic back?” she teased.

Regina rolled her eyes playfully. “Now, that _didn’t_ cross my mind, but now that you mention it, you could.”

Aria shook her head as she chuckled, but once she saw the determined expression the woman held, her laughter subsided. “You’re…You’re serious?” When Regina nodded her answer, she asked, “Why would you want to help me? You’ve already done so much for me.”

She could have told her the truth. She could have told her that she was fond of the girl who had befriended her son, despite the age difference, and believed him when no one else did. She could have told her that she admired her determination and selfless heart. She could have told her that she was starting to join the part of her darkened heart that was reserved for Henry. Instead, she said, “Well, I’m trying to be good. I want to show Henry that I’ve changed and, since you’re the least terrible of the bunch, I figured I’d start with you.”

Aria had always been good at telling when someone was lying—an ability that had only been strengthened during her time with the Lost Boys—so she knew the woman had given her a fib. Even so, she allowed the woman to save face rather than call her out on it. “Well, I appreciate the offer, but I think…I _feel_ like I need to be on my own. It just…feels right.”

Having already suspected as much, she managed to hide the disappointment she felt. “I can understand that. We’re much alike, you know.” She grinned at the surprised look Aria shot her way. “You like to be depended upon, but you don’t like to be dependent. That’s something I know all too well.”

She hadn’t realized it until Regina said it, but her words resonated within her. She’d been a very dependent child, relying on her mother for everything she did, but it appeared that living in Neverland had changed her more than she’d thought. “Someone once told me that…that when you depend on people, it hurts more once they’re gone. That’s why you feel lost.”

Regina recognized the sad, longing smile on the girl’s face. After all, it was a look she’d seen often in the mirror whenever she thought about Daniel. She wondered just who this young girl loved and lost. “They sound very wise.”

Aria smiled fondly, thoughts of all Peter’s mischievous schemes and games flashing through her mind. “Yeah…he was…”

Unable to bear the look on the young girl’s face any longer, she said, “Well, at least let me do something for you. Let me know when you’ve found a place. I can pitch in and help, too.”

Aria gave her a tight-lipped smile and lied through her teeth, unwilling to burden the woman anymore than she already had. “I will.”


End file.
